One of Duke women's basketball's youngest members is taking home some serious hardware.
Forward Toby Fournier won ACC Rookie of the Year following a remarkable freshman campaign during which she averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 55.0% shooting from the field. She was also named to the All-ACC first team, and was joined in conference honors by Ashlon Jackson (All-ACC second team) and Jadyn Donovan (All-ACC defensive team). Shayeann Day-Wilson won ACC Rookie of the Year honors as voted by the league's head coaches in the 2021-22 season, but the league's Blue Ribbon Panel voted for Notre Dame's Sonia Citron.
Usually the first off the bench for a Blue Devil squad that lacked a true center this season, Fournier saw significant progress during the course of the campaign. A creative and effective offensive player, the Canadian sensation found her place posting up taller opposing centers and using her substantial wingspan to finish acrobatic plays down low. Averaging 19.9 minutes per game, Fournier was second in minutes among bench players, behind just guard Oluchi Okananwa.
While Fournier came into the program as a viral sensation for her dunking ability, Blue Devil fans were not fortunate enough to witness any during the regular season. Instead, they were subject to game after game of strong defense, creative post play and a burgeoning 3-point shot that proved to be a real threat by the end of the campaign. The freshman capped it all off with a mind-boggling road performance in the final game of the regular season, putting up 28 points against No. 24 Florida State on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and leading Duke to victory.
"It's one of the great performances of the season in our league, regardless of class. When you look at what Toby did tonight, to not only have the scoring output that she did, but doing it against one of the best defensive players in the league as well,” head coach Kara Lawson after the win against the Seminoles said. “... I think it's definitely the finest performance by freshmen in a league game this year. And it goes without saying, this is the freshman of the year. If you can't see that, you gotta go to the eye doctor.“
Before coming to Durham, the young star was a key piece on the national youth circuit for Canada, helping her team to Bronze in the 2023 FIBA U19 World Championship and earning an All-Star nod. She averaged 16.1 points and a tournament-high 13.7 rebounds per game.
Now, with the postseason upon the Blue Devils, Fournier will look to make a name for herself in the ACC Tournament and March Madness. First up is a Friday evening matchup in the conference quarterfinals.
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Martin Heintzelman is a Trinity junior and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.