Duke forward Toby Fournier pulls down rebound against South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025. in Birmingham, Ala. AP

Duke women’s basketball was supposed to be the ACC team to beat this season — and for good reason.

The Blue Devils returned all but one of their starters from last season’s Elite Eight team that captured 29 wins and won the conference tournament. The roster continuity and experience in coach Kara Lawson’s system were expected to give them a leg up on the competition.

Their biggest departures were starter Reigan Richardson, who graduated, and Oluchi Okananwa, a backup guard who contributed 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench as a sophomore and transferred to

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