Former Duke softball star Jala Wright shares social media post about first pro practice

Jala Wright, the 2024 ACC Pitcher of the Year, began her professional career with the Texas Smoke on Wednesday.

Former Duke softball star [autotag]Jala Wright[/autotag] began the next chapter of her career on Wednesday.

Wright, the 2024 ACC Pitcher of the Year, posted on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) that she started her first professional practice with the Texas Smoke of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league.

The senior star had her best collegiate season in 2024 while helping the Blue Devils to their first Women’s College World Series appearance. She finished with a 19-3 record and a 1.50 ERA after 34 appearances. She pitched eight complete games and struck out 189 batters in 154.1 innings of work.

Wright didn’t earn a run in 18 of her 34 trips to the circle, including five shutout appearances in a row from February 23 to March 8. She compiled at least 14 strikeouts in three different games, including a 14-strikeout game against Michigan State in February and another game against Virginia.

She also took down 17 Boston College batters in just 10 innings during the ACC Tournament, earning her NCAA Pitcher of the Week honors.

Wright also spent two hours signing autographs after the Blue Devils were eliminated from the WCWS. The former Duke star will surely have Blue Devils cheering her on at the next level.