After a road victory over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils shifted closer to the top 10 in the USA TODAY Sports women’s college basketball coaches poll on Tuesday.
Duke shuffled up two spots to No. 14 in the rankings, one spot ahead of the North Carolina Tar Heels after UNC’s loss to No. 2 Connecticut. In fact, the Blue Devils are the highest-ranked team with a loss in this week’s rankings.
Head coach Kara Lawson has shown off the balanced scoring attack and harassing defense fans expected during the offseason. The Blue Devils have given up just 61.6 points per game, letting opponents make 39.1% of their shots, while five different players have averaged at least 9.0 points per game.
Sophomore Jadyn Donovan became the latest Duke player to step forward on Sunday, scoring 23 points and adding 23 rebounds in the road win. It was the second 20-point performance from the roster this season (Ashlon Jackson finished with 22 against Liberty).
South Carolina, the reigning national champions who haven’t lost since 2022-23, remained in the top spot with 28 of 30 first-place votes. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (fifth) are the only ACC team ahead of Duke.