Duke HC Kara Lawson earns biggest win of her tenure with upset over Ohio State
Head coach Kara Lawson's vision for Duke is starting to take shape following a huge upset.
In the second round of the NCAA Women's Tournament, the seventh-seeded Blue Devils (22-11) shocked the second-seeded Buckeyes (26-6) in a 75-63 victory in Columbus. Junior guard Reigan Richardson scored 28 points and had seven rebounds, helping Duke erase a 16-point first-half deficit.
The Blue Devils earned their first Sweet 16 appearance under Lawson, a former WNBA champion and All-Star, and first since 2018.
Lawson became Duke HC in 2020 after she served as an assistant for the Boston Celtics for one season. She has a 67-32 record through her first four seasons but needed a signature win. Entering this game, she only had one victory in the tournament.
Upsetting a national championship contender while playing five freshmen proves the program's on the right track.
"We're building something special here," she recently told The Ringer's Mirin Fader. "And whenever you're building, you have to take moments to sit back and appreciate where you are. Because if you build it right—and that's a big if, we've got to build it right—you'll never build again."
Duke will face No. 3 seed UConn or No. 6 seed Syracuse next Saturday. Assuming the Huskies win, Duke will probably be an underdog again. UConn is a powerhouse that has won the most national championships (11) in women's college basketball.
However, the Blue Devils—who last made the Final Four in 2006—are gaining momentum under Lawson. It wouldn't be a surprise if they gave the Huskies a run for their money.
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