The AP preseason Top 25 dropped Monday, and with it, Duke women's basketball had its highest opening ranking in over a decade. Coach Kara Lawson's crew came in at No. 4 in the annual AP college basketball poll, trailing only South Carolina, UConn, and USC ahead of the 2026/27 NCAA women's basketball season.
Kara Lawson Building Title-Chasing Team in the Preseason
The ranking follows Duke's clean sweep of the ACC's regular season and tournament titles last spring. That run was the program's best since 2013. Already picked as the preseason favorite to win the conference, the Blue Devils face nine ranked opponents this year, with five of those matchups coming against Top 7 programs.
But head coach Kara Lawson brings back three starters and a wave of newcomers this time around.
Sophomore Toby Fournier, an AP All-American, leads the returnees after earning a preseason All-ACC nod. Freshmen Autumn Fleary and Bella Flemings each earned spots on the ACC's preseason All-Freshman team, while top-five recruit Emilee Skinner is expected back after an injury kept her sidelined all of last year. Texas transfer Aaliyah Crump, the No. 5 recruit from the 2025 class, adds another layer to an already deep roster.
Duke tips off their run on November 3rd against Green Bay at 7 PM ET on ACCNX.
