Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at Norfolk State on November 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
at Norfolk State
Thursday, November 12
Norfolk, Va.
7 p.m.
Duke University
at
Norfolk State
Photo by: Duke Athletics
11/11/2026 7:50:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Opening Tip
Lawson Returns to Familiar Territory
Rankings After Week One
Second-Half Stars
The Balanced Blue Devils
Up Next
#GoDuke
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- Duke finishes a two-game road swing Thursday at Norfolk State. It will be the first time the Blue Devils have played at an HBCU since 1977 when Duke played at both Shaw and NC Central. The Blue Devils are coming off a 78-56 victory at Florida Atlantic Sunday. It was Duke's second 70-plus point outing on offense and the second time the Blue Devils have held their opponent to 30-percent shooting.
- Four Blue Devils scored in double figures and nine Duke players registered at least two points in the road win over the Owls. Rookie Autumn Fleary paced the offense with a game-high 14 points and four assists. Aaliyah Crump had a fantastic second half and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals.
- The Blue Devils have commanded the glass this season, winning the rebound battle by +13 and +15 for a +14 rebounding margin after two games. At Florida Atlantic, Duke scored 22 second-chance points from 16 offensive boards.
- Duke returned three starters and nine players from last year's ACC Championship team and welcomed the addition of Texas transfer Aaliyah Crump and a talented freshman class of four. All five newcomers have seen action already this season with Crump leading the way at 29.0 minutes per game. Autumn Fleary is averaging 23.5 minutes per game in her first collegiate season, while Bella Flemings is at 19. Toby Fournier, an AP All-American in 2026, is the top returner and scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds in just 19 minutes of action at Florida Atlantic after missing the first game of the season. Riley Nelson is picking up where she left off at the end of last season with 20 points and 11 rebounds in her first two games.
Lawson Returns to Familiar Territory
- Norfolk is the home to some great memories for Duke head coach Kara Lawson. The Blue Devil leader returns to where she won her final Virginia Girls Basketball State Championship with West Springfield High School.
- Lawson registered 26 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as she led the Spartans to a perfect 30-0 record on the year with a 60-38 victory over Robinson High School in the title game. It was her second Virginia State Championship, having also won in 1997 when the final was held in Lynchburg, Va.
Rankings After Week One
- The Blue Devils sit at No. 5 in the AP poll, garnering 681 points. Duke moves to five after Michigan jumped up to No. 2 with a win over then No. 2 UConn.
- Duke entered the season ranked fourth by Charlie Creme in the ESPN preseason rankings. The Blue Devils also came in at No. 4 in the preseason AP and USA Today/Coaches polls. It is the highest a Duke team has been ranked entering a season since starting the 2013-14 campaign ranked second.
Second-Half Stars
- Autumn Fleary shined in the second half of Duke's season-opening win, while Aaliyah Crump was the start in game two.
- Fleary, playing in her first collegiate game, got off to a shaky start in the first half against Green Bay. She went 0-for-2, one rebound and four turnovers in six minutes. She came out in the second half and spearheaded a Duke surge with nine points (3-of-5 FG/2-3 3FG), two rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes.
- In game two, Crump had a hard time getting going offensively against the Owls. She did not take a shot in 12 minutes of action in the opening half and had three turnovers to go with her three rebounds and two steals. The second 20 minutes were a different story as she scored 13 points (5-8 FG), four rebounds, two assists, three blocks and zero turnovers.
The Balanced Blue Devils
- The Blue Devils have shown they are a balanced team with at least eight players scoring in each of the first two wins. Against Florida Atlantic, nine Duke players scored at least two points. The eight different players with at least three points in the season opener were one more than Duke played with for most of the 2025-26 season.
- Five Blue Devils currently average double digits with Delaney Thomas coming up just short at 9.5. Rebounding is also done by committee with four averaging at least five boards per game.
- Duke has a host of guards who can lead the offense with Emilee Skinner serving as the starting point guard in the first two games. Autumn Fleary has been excellent in her first two career outings, while Bella Flemings and Aaliyah Crump also have the ability to handle the ball for the Blue Devils.
Up Next
- Duke returns home to Cameron Indoor Stadium to host Marshall Nov. 15. The Blue Devils and Thundering Herd tip off at 3 p.m., on ACC Network.
#GoDuke
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