Duke’s statement upset over Ohio State on Sunday afternoon pushed the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16 for the first time under head coach Kara Lawson.
In fact, even though this year will mark Duke’s 18th appearance in the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils hadn’t made it past the second round since 2018.
The Blue Devils have made the national championship game twice, the Final Four four times, and the Elite Eight 11 times. They have a 60-25 record in the NCAA Tournament as a program.
They made it at least as far as the Sweet 16 every year from 1998-2008, lost in the second round in 2009, and then made the Elite Eight in each of the next four seasons.
Despite the program’s pedigree, however, this is the first time Duke has ever made the Sweet 16 as a No. 7 seed. In fact, this is only the second time the Blue Devils have made it this far with a seed below fourth (Duke was a No. 5 seed in 2018).
Duke advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the 18th time in program history and the first time under Kara Lawson. #DukeWBBStats
— Duke WBB Stats (@DukeWBBStats) March 24, 2024
Lawson has coached Duke for the past four seasons, and she’s compiled a 67-32 overall record and a 3-1 record in the NCAA Tournament during her time in Durham.