McAdorey a Senior Blue Devil of the Year
Meredith Rieder, GoDuke the Magazine
Neither Reigan Richardson nor Andrew McAdorey will say too much about themselves. So consider this an opportunity to get to know two Blue Devil stars who came to Duke and embraced all the university had to offer athletically and academically.
Richardson won’t tell you she’s one of 36 players in Duke women’s basketball history to score 1,000 points in her career and that she did it in three seasons with the Blue Devils. McAdorey, a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse program, will refrain from mentioning he is a two-time first-team All-American and finished his career ranked 25th all-time on the points chart despite playing most of his career in the midfield.
For both of them, that intensity and drive to excel carried over from the court and field into the classroom. And for that reason, they are Duke’s Senior Student-Athletes of the Year for 2024-25. Both recently officially joined the Duke alumni group with Richardson earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and McAdorey a political science degree following their stellar careers on the court and field.
For Richardson, the reality of having a Duke degree didn’t hit her until graduation day arrived. Unable to attend the ceremony because she was at training camp with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, Richardson was unable to share the memory with her Duke classmates, but she does understand the doors it can open.
It didn’t really hit me until I graduated that I have a Duke degree. The sky is the limit when you have something like that. It means a lot and the opportunities that come along with it are going to be awesome. I spent three years at Duke, and it honestly gave me some of the best experiences I have had in terms of not just growing as a basketball player but growing as a person.~ Reigan Richardson
McAdorey, having just come off a tough career-ending loss to Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament, was able to appreciate graduation Sunday for everything it represented — a childhood dream fulfilled — and he cherished sharing the moment with his family and friends.
Duke has given me so much and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to come here, meet some of my best friends, have an unbelievable learning experience and be a part of such a great program. I’m truly honored to be able to call myself a Duke man and to be able to share that moment (at graduation) with my family and realize all the work they put in and all the sacrifices they made to get me to be able to live out my dream and come to Duke.~ Andrew McAdorey
Their paths to Duke varied in that Richardson spent a year playing at Georgia before joining the Blue Devils, while McAdorey fulfilled the dream he had since he was three and joined a trio of his high school teammates in Durham.
However, once they arrived in Durham, they both hit the ground running, making immediate impacts and relishing every moment. Richardson helped spearhead a return to glory for the women’s basketball team and McAdorey added an extra gear to the locomotive that is the Duke men’s lacrosse program.
“Wearing that Duke jersey (means) you’re part of a historic community in men’s and women’s (basketball),” Richardson said. “It’s something that doesn’t really hit you until you’re leaving. I can say that for sure.”
Earning a starting role seven games into her first season with head coach Kara Lawson, Richardson averaged 6.8 points per game while helping lead Duke to a 26-7 overall record and a return to the NCAA Tournament.
As she grew on and off the court and learned what it meant to be a member of the Duke community, the Charlotte, N.C., native took her game to the next level, increasing her scoring average to 12.4 her junior season en route to leading the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16, which included a 28-point and seven-rebound performance in the second round win over No. 2 seed Ohio State in Columbus.
Over the course of the three years I wore (the Duke jersey) I learned what Duke means, not just as a school but as a community and what it means to represent Duke and the Sisterhood.~ Reigan Richardson
The Blue Devils and Richardson took another step forward during the 2024-25 season, amassing 29 wins and coming up one basket short of advancing to the Final Four. It was a heartbreaking finish for the senior leader as she took off her jersey for the final time, but she also cherished the growth the program and herself made over the previous three seasons.
“It was really sad,” Richardson said about realizing she wouldn’t wear the Duke jersey again. “I remember just being in the locker room after the South Carolina game. It was sad emotionally, but we all were really proud of how far we came and proud of how we fought adversity throughout the season, proud of how we grew together and the people we became over the years. It was sad but it was also a happy and proud moment as well.”
Tough as nails and able to change direction on a dime, McAdorey joined the ranks of elite midfielders in Duke history his rookie season by setting the freshman midfield record for points with 39.
He remembers the first time he officially stepped onto the field wearing Duke across his chest — a dream come true and an opportunity he never took for granted throughout his career.
(Wearing the Duke jersey) meant everything. I still remember the first time I put it on. In the meeting the night before, Coach Danowski talked to us about what it meant and how special it is to be able to put that jersey on and to recognize what it’s like doing it for the first time. It’s something I always took a moment to stop and take in before every single game.~ Andrew McAdorey
McAdorey, doing whatever was best for the Blue Devils, moved down to attack his sophomore season, as Duke put together a run to the national championship game on Memorial Day. He finished with 61 points and earned All-America honorable mention recognition while the Blue Devils rattled off 16 wins and an NCAA runnerup trophy.
In his final two seasons with the Blue Devils, McAdorey became just the fifth Duke midfielder to earn first-team All-America honors from the USILA twice in his career and was drafted second overall in the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League Draft.
He’ll begin his professional lacrosse career at the end of May with the California Redwoods and then will commence writing his next Duke chapter as he pursues his Master of Management Studies degree from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business while also helping with the men’s lacrosse team.
“Duke means the world to me,” McAdorey said. “It’s a hard place to just kind of up and leave after spending four years here that have changed your life. I’ve heard nothing but great things about (Fuqua) from alumni of the program and business is something I definitely have an interest in. I’m super excited to come back and help out with the program in whatever way I can and I’m excited to continue my Duke learning experience.”
Being highly successful athletically and academically just doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a steely focus, hard work and dedication to excellence. Both Richardson and McAdorey are quick to give credit to their family. The insistence on the importance of earning a college degree to support their athletic dreams along with the reminder not to take shortcuts provided the duo with an incredible launching pad for success.
My mom, she always preached about having a degree and how much that means. She’s always wanted me to have a backup plan regardless of whether I’m playing basketball or not. So, when it came to school and basketball, I always wanted to have good grades, and I wanted to make sure I gave my best whenever I was on the court or in the classroom.”~ Reigan Richardson
McAdorey remembers the countless hours his parents spent with him both in sports and school and he took those lessons to heart. The hours his dad would take after work to spend with him on the lacrosse field and the long drives to school with his mom to ensure he was getting the best education inspired McAdorey, like Richardson, to always give his best.
Both my father and my mother have instilled in me since I was a little kid, ‘If you’re going to do something you have to give it 110 percent.’ They’ve always told me to work hard at whatever you’re going to do. My dad would come home from work and go to the field with me when I was a little kid almost every day. My mom would drive me an hour to school every single day, and she also helped me with my work constantly and helped me study.~ Andrew McAdorey
Regardless of whether sports are in their immediate future, both Richardson and McAdorey enter the next phase of life knowing one thing is certain — Duke was better because of them. They will deflect and say the opposite is just as true. They are better because of Duke.