Duke will begin the women’s college basketball season at No. 4 in the Associated Press poll, its highest preseason position since the Blue Devils were second ahead of the 2013-14 season.
Tuesday’s ranking puts Duke behind South Carolina, UConn and Southern California. The Blue Devils already had the ACC’s preseason backing: the conference’s coaches and Blue Ribbon Panel placed them first with 1,649 points and 49 first-place votes, ahead of Louisville’s 1,580 points and 22 first-place votes.
Kara Lawson’s team returns three starters and nine players from last season’s group, according to Duke. That continuity comes with additional guards who could change the available combinations.
Fournier leads a group with more options
Junior forward Toby Fournier made the preseason All-ACC team. Duke also welcomes Emilee Skinner back from injury and adds Texas transfer Aaliyah Crump, while freshmen Autumn Fleary and Bella Flemings earned places on the ACC’s preseason all-freshman team.
The school’s announcement describes Skinner and Crump as highly rated members of the 2025 recruiting class. Those additions sit alongside the returning players, giving Lawson a different roster to work with despite the familiar core.
Duke’s official media-day post below comes from its October 5 ACC Tipoff appearance, where Lawson and players previewed the season. It provides preseason context rather than game highlights.
