Duke Women’s Basketball Riding High Heading Into Wake Forest Matchup
The Duke Blue Devils are rolling, and they’re not showing signs of slowing down. Winners of 12 straight, Duke is set to put its perfect ACC record on the line Sunday when it hosts Wake Forest for a noon tipoff at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils are 15-6 overall and a spotless 10-0 in conference play - their best ACC start under head coach Kara Lawson. And if history is any indication, this group is chasing something special.
The last time a Duke team opened ACC play with more than 10 straight wins? You have to go back to the 2012-13 season, when the Blue Devils ripped off 15 straight on their way to a 17-1 conference record.
That same season also saw Duke open the year with a 16-game win streak - a mark this current squad is beginning to flirt with. The 12 consecutive wins are already the longest under Lawson and the most since that 2012-13 campaign.
But don’t let the six losses on Duke’s record fool you - they’ve come against some of the toughest competition in the nation. All six were against teams currently ranked in the NET Top 85, including No.
2 UCLA, No. 4 South Carolina, and No.
5 LSU. That’s a gauntlet by any standard, and it’s helped sharpen this team into one of the ACC’s most dangerous units.
Balanced, Battle-Tested, and Built to Win
Sophomore forward Toby Fournier has been the offensive engine, averaging 17.9 points per game and anchoring the defense with 2.2 blocks per contest. Her presence in the paint has been a game-changer, but she’s far from alone.
Taina Mair is quietly putting together a career year, filling the stat sheet with 11.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game - a true do-it-all guard who gives Duke a steady hand on both ends. Ashlon Jackson is another name to know.
She’s averaging 12.0 points per game, leads the team with 44 made threes, and adds 4.6 assists per game. But what really sets her apart is her defensive versatility - she consistently draws the toughest perimeter assignments and thrives in them.
On the boards, Duke is getting serious contributions from Fournier (7.7 rebounds per game), Arianna Roberson (5.8), and Delaney Thomas (5.7). Thomas is also shooting a team-best 63 percent from the field while adding 10.7 points per game. Roberson chips in 8.5 points and protects the rim with 1.1 blocks per game.
A Dominant History Against Wake Forest
Sunday’s matchup marks the 91st meeting between Duke and Wake Forest, and the Blue Devils have owned this rivalry. They lead the all-time series 72-18 and have been especially dominant at home, holding a 33-7 record in Durham.
The last time Wake Forest won at Cameron Indoor? That was back in 2020.
Since then, Duke has continued to assert itself, especially under Lawson, whose teams have beaten Wake Forest by an average of 15.8 points.
Fournier Shines, Defense Locks In
In their most recent outing, Duke showcased its depth and defensive grit. Fournier posted her fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds - her seventh 20-point game of the year.
But it was the defense that stole the show. The Blue Devils held Miami to single-digit scoring in two separate quarters and completely clamped down in the fourth, outscoring the Hurricanes 19-8.
Duke limited Miami to just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc, an impressive feat considering the Hurricanes came in averaging nearly six made threes per game on 20 attempts. It was the 14th time this season Duke held an opponent to single digits in a quarter - and the third straight game they’ve done it twice.
Offensive Firepower and Strong Finishes
This year’s Duke team isn’t just getting it done on defense - they’ve turned up the heat on offense, too. In ACC play, the Blue Devils have scored 20 or more points in 19 of 40 quarters.
For context, they only had 23 such quarters in the entire conference slate last season. That’s a massive leap in offensive consistency.
And when it comes to closing games, no one’s doing it better. During their 12-game win streak, Duke has outscored opponents 263-171 in the fourth quarter.
In ACC play alone, they hold a 219-144 edge in the final frame. They’ve won the fourth quarter in every game during the streak, with an average margin of nearly eight points in the last 10 minutes.
That’s the kind of finishing ability that separates good teams from great ones.
Among the ACC’s Elite
As of now, Duke and Louisville are the only two teams still unbeaten in ACC play - and they’re set to face off on Feb. 5 in what’s shaping up to be a must-watch showdown. But before that, Duke will look to keep its momentum going against Wake Forest.
Statistically, the Blue Devils are one of the most complete teams in the conference. They lead the ACC in scoring defense (55.9 points allowed per game), opponent three-point percentage (.233), and turnover margin (+4.10). They’re second in opponent field goal percentage (.368), third in blocks (5.60) and opponent rebounds (33.0), and fourth in overall rebounding (41.3).
Offensively, they’re just as impressive - ranking first in scoring margin (+23.6), second in three-point percentage (.378) and assists (19.2 per game), tied for second in field goal percentage (.471), and third in scoring offense (79.5 points per game).
Individually, Fournier ranks third in the ACC in scoring at 19.0 points per game, while Jackson (5.4) and Mair (5.1) sit third and fourth in assists, respectively.
Jackson Chasing Milestone Win
Sunday could be a milestone moment for senior Ashlon Jackson. A win over Wake Forest would mark her 50th career ACC victory - a testament to her consistency and leadership over four seasons in Durham.
Since 2022, Duke is 49-15 in ACC play, tied with Notre Dame for the best record in the league over that span. Jackson’s overall record as a Blue Devil stands at 88-38, and her 50 conference wins would be the most by any Duke player since the program’s 55-win run from 2011-2015.
What’s Next
After Sunday’s home game against Wake Forest, the Blue Devils will hit the road for a marquee matchup at Louisville on Feb. 5 - a battle of the ACC’s last two unbeatens. That one’s circled on every calendar, but first, Duke has business to handle at home.
This team is clicking on all cylinders - elite defense, balanced scoring, and the kind of late-game execution that wins championships. If they keep this up, the rest of the ACC - and maybe more - will have to take notice.