Ways Duke WBB Can Turn Its Season Around in ACC Play

The Duke Women's Basketball team has not gotten off to the start it wanted to this season. They were looking to win a lot of these non-conference games, but that just has not been the case for the Blue Devils.

They are off to a rough start, but they are still looking to improve each day and work hard to get things going in the right direction this season. They have it in them, and they are looking to be the best for the whole team, so the whole team can start feeding off the energy.

The Blue Devils are coming off a rough three-game stretch. But in that stretch, they have played some of the best teams in all of college basketball. The schedule that the Blue Devils have had has been a difficult one.

But that is something that they know will help them down the stretch and especially in ACC play. The Blue Devils are looking to wipe the slate clean as they are looking to get off to the right foot in their conference opener.

fewwe — Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson addresses the crowd at the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Duke Looking Forward to ACC Play

“We're getting better. We're a lot better tonight than we were last week,” Duke's head coach Kara Lawson said. “And that's what you want. You want your team to grow through the course of the season.”

"Despite a startlingly thin backcourt, it was the pair of starting guards, Jackson and point guard Taina Mair, who provided notable early fuel. Mair played with a fire lit under her, scrambling around the floor and pushing the game to a ridiculously fast pace early," said Martin Heintzelman of The Chronicle.

Nov 3, 2025; Paris, FRA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson calls a play against the Baylor Bears during the first half at Adidas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

"Jackson shot 4-of-10 from three in about 38 minutes on the floor and tried to provide the late spark to keep Duke in range. With no backup point guard and freshman Emilee Skinner presumably still sidelined with some sort of injury, Mair and Jackson kept their energy up all the way to the end."

“Those two kind of have to be iron women to play for us, because that's where we are in our depth chart. We just don't have a lot of guards that are healthy. We have a lot of forwards,” Lawson said, “And so they're doing a great job. I'm proud of them. They're playing tough, they're super committed, they're working hard, and that's what you want, and they're getting better at playing those deep minutes.”

Nov 3, 2025; Paris, FRA; Duke Blue Devils forward Toby Fournier (35) scores a layup against Baylor Bears forward Kiersten Johnson (2) during the first half at Adidas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

“We want to look in March and see that we're the team that grew the most. What's that going to take? It's going to take some painful losses. It's going to take some games that we shouldn't lose,” Jackson said.

“It's going to take some wins too, but all around, the team that develops the most and shows that in March, those are usually the ones that are the most successful, and I feel like [Lawson]’s put us in a position to be able to do that.”

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