Blue Devil Country

Duke Fails To Add Fifth Top 50 Prospect

While Duke made it into this player's Top 7, they ultimately fell short in pursuit of their fifth Top-50 ranked prospect.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson is introduced during player introductions at the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson is introduced during player introductions at the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

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Duke Blue Devils

Duke Blue Devils women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson has won more often than not with her Class of 2026. The Blue Devils aren't used to hearing "no" from top recruits, though that's exactly the response they heard from Addison Bjorn.

Lawson knew she was up against top competition for the No. 2-ranked small forward in the Class of '26, but she would've loved to add another top player. Bjorn is currently ranked No. 11, which would've been Duke's second-highest-ranked recruit in the class.

Looking at Duke's current recruits, Bjorn's decision makes complete sense. While she is ranked higher than both No. 13 Bella Flemings and No. 31 Sanai Green, the Blue Devils already have two small forwards coming in for their Class of '26. That's not to say someone couldn't have switched positions or Lawson couldn't have found a role for all three, but at the end of the day, Bjorn chose the Texas Longhorns.

Addison Bjorn's Decision

Of all the battles Duke was up against this season, Bjorn's was by far the toughest. The 6'2'' small forward had her Top 7 narrowed down to: Notre Dame, Iowa, UConn, North Carolina, Duke, Texas, and Kansas.

Whether NIL factored into her decision or not, she's still going to a top school. There are no wrong choices when those seven schools are the final ones in consideration, though Duke would've loved it if she pulled through and committed to the Blue Devils.

At the end of the day, Bjorn knows she's going to be a Day 1 difference maker. She was one of three five-stars who were yet to make a decision, and whether that was by design or not, she looked at all of her options before finally committing to Texas.

Blue Devils Continue To Move Forward

As previously mentioned, the Blue Devils already have a pair of stellar small forwards on the way. Duke would've loved to be greedy and see another Top 50 prospect come their way, but this just wasn't a battle they were going to win.

The addition of Bjorn would've certainly given them the top Class of '26, but instead, they remain at No. 2, according to 247Sports. Autumn Fleary and Bella Flemings are top players in their respective states, and both Green and Taylor Soflikanich are Top 5 players in their own. Lawson has a solid foundation coming in next season, but that doesn't mean losing out on Bjorn hurts any less.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.