ACC 2024-25 Season

[WBBTakeover]

I like State WBB and I like Coach Moore... that being said... that will be the last time State beats Duke in WBB for the foreseeable future...next 10-15 years.

Duke is gonna start running the Triangle starting tomorrow...... we are gonna be the Big Bad Blue Spirit as long as Coach Lawson is at the helm. I could be wrong... lets check back in a few years ( or until I delete this post)

This is Year 5 with Kara Lawson. I need to see more before I'm convinced that she's the one to lead the program back to competing for conference titles and Final Four berths (i.e. perennial Top 5, not Top 15ish). Something's just not clicking. Maybe she's finding out the hard way that she's not able to design her program and implement it in the way that she's been hoping to? She essentially had a blank canvas with which to work. She's no Marissa Young, IMO (who also had a blank canvas--minus the rich Duke tradition in the sport to go along with it).

I mentioned Reigan Richardson at the beginning of the season (after her no-show against South Carolina and underwhelming performance against Virginia Tech) but was assured by other Duke supporters that she'll be fine (I believe they pointed to her 7 assists against VT as a sign that she'd be fine). What now? If the season ended today, she's not going to make any of the All-ACC teams. Who gets the blame for that--player or coach(es)?

I pointed out last year a few things that Duke needed to get back to national prominence--among them (1) a solid to strong WNBA presence (draft picks, players who can make rosters) with this generation, (2) competent PG play, and (3) an offense that plays to the strengths of the players. Will we see this? We're seeing #2 (thank you, Taina and Vanessa), but the jury is out on #1 and #3 doesn't look like it's happening nearly enough.

 

[CAbballfan2]

This is Year 5 with Kara Lawson. I need to see more before I'm convinced that she's the one to lead the program back to competing for conference titles and Final Four berths (i.e. perennial Top 5, not Top 15ish). Something's just not clicking. Maybe she's finding out the hard way that she's not able to design her program and implement it in the way that she's been hoping to? She essentially had a blank canvas with which to work. She's no Marissa Young, IMO (who also had a blank canvas--minus the rich Duke tradition in the sport to go along with it).

I mentioned Reigan Richardson at the beginning of the season (after her no-show against South Carolina and underwhelming performance against Virginia Tech) but was assured by other Duke supporters that she'll be fine (I believe they pointed to her 7 assists against VT as a sign that she'd be fine). What now? If the season ended today, she's not going to make any of the All-ACC teams. Who gets the blame for that--player or coach(es)?

I pointed out last year a few things that Duke needed to get back to national prominence--among them (1) a solid to strong WNBA presence (draft picks, players who can make rosters) with this generation, (2) competent PG play, and (3) an offense that plays to the strengths of the players. Will we see this? We're seeing #2 (thank you, Taina and Vanessa), but the jury is out on #1 and #3 doesn't look like it's happening nearly enough.

To be fair, Dawn Staley didn’t make the final four or win a conference championship till her 7th year at South Carolina. And she had way more years of coaching experience prior to that. I still think Kara deserves more time, especially because they are trending in the right direction. With the addition of Skinner, Roberson and Nelson next season, and if no one enters the portal, I think that team could make a really nice run.

 

[cancontent]

To be fair, Dawn Staley didn’t make the final four or win a conference championship till her 7th year at South Carolina. And she had way more years of coaching experience prior to that. I still think Kara deserves more time, especially because they are trending in the right direction. With the addition of Skinner, Roberson and Nelson next season, and if no one enters the portal, I think that team could make a really nice run.

Agreed. Considering what's she's accomplished so far in this new era of the portal and NIL, Duke has been competitive. She's deserves the credit for the change in the team's culture as well. The vibe is evident even through the TV screen.