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‘We are going to be part of a legacy’: The rebirth of Duke basketball

Celeste Taylor is Duke’s second-leading scorer this season after transferring from Texas. (Lance King/Getty Images)

Lexi Gordon was starting over. So was Celeste Taylor.

So were 13 other players and four coaches.

Duke women’s basketball was starting over.

After playing only four games in 2020, the Blue Devils made the decision to stop the season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During the extra-long offseason, first-year head coach Kara Lawson got to work, securing eight transfer students and signing two freshmen. So, even the three remaining players who had already spent time at Duke were entering a new situation. It was a completely new team.

“There were definitely nerves, especially because everything was so unknown,” said Gordon, who transferred from UConn to Texas Tech in 2019 before eventually landing at Duke. “There were so many different people coming from different places. And you wonder, ‘Are we going to mesh? Am I going to like my teammates?’”

But Lawson didn’t put together a roster of misfits. Those eight transfers were like puzzle pieces packaged in the wrong boxes — Lawson and her staff carefully sifted through the boxes, plucking out the pieces that would be perfect for the Duke puzzle.

The players had no way of knowing what the finished roster would look like when they each selected Duke. Instead, they relied on faith. And if you’re going to put your faith and basketball career in someone’s hands, Kara Lawson is a good choice. A coach with 12 years of WNBA experience and two Olympic gold medals — one as a player and one as Team USA’s 3×3 coach — knows what it takes to win.

“I think ultimately what led me to Duke was easily just that Kara is who she is,” said Taylor, a Texas transfer. “I knew she was going to build something that was going to be hard to turn down.”

The rebuilding process was something that appealed to both Taylor and Gordon, who are averaging 11.7 and 9.1 points per game, respectively, for the Blue Devils this season.

“For me, that was one of the biggest things that I looked at personally,” Taylor said. “Whether it was rebuilding a program, or just coming in and changing the culture of a program to a winning culture, to just have a competitive nature and competitive mindset.

“I think that is so important because we are going to be part of a legacy.”

When the 2021-22 season started, the legacy of this Duke team probably wasn’t on anyone’s radar outside of its own locker room. But slowly, the Blue Devils began to turn heads. They opened play with seven-straight wins and, with a 79-64 defeat of No. 9 Iowa on Dec. 3, reentered the national conversation.

Duke, which hadn’t been ranked in the top 25 since the 2018-19 preseason, surged to No. 19 in the AP poll that week.

“We weren’t really trying to prove to the world, to the rest of the basketball community that we can compete with teams like Iowa,” Taylor said. “But we were really just reiterating it to ourselves that we know the type of players we are, and we know the type of team we can be by the end of the season.”

Even if it wasn’t their intent, the Blue Devils did prove something. And two weeks later, when they stuck with No. 1 South Carolina before eventually losing 55-46, they proved it even more.

Duke was once again a program to be reckoned with.

The team has been a fixture in the top 25 since then, despite three more losses that followed the South Carolina defeat. Freshman guard Shayeann Day-Wilson, the 41st-ranked recruit in the Class of 2021, has been a revelation for the Blue Devils, leading the team with 12 points and 3.5 assists per game. Elizabeth Balogun, a senior transfer from Louisville, has also found a home at Duke, recording a team-high 20 blocks to go along with 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Their return to the AP poll may have felt like a longtime coming to Duke fans, but from the moment they stepped on campus, the players knew it was only a matter of time.

“From the first week, we kind of made it a point of emphasis to get to know each other, hanging out and learning about each other,” Gordon said.

Players went to church together, they saw movies, they tried new restaurants or cooked. Once they knew each other as people, the Blue Devils started to learn about each other as players.

“We meshed pretty quickly,” Taylor said. “On the court, it takes time for players to learn each other’s tendencies and what they like and how they want to be spoken to. Just what motivates them. That takes time more than anything, but as of now, we are doing a pretty good job.”

Right now, Duke is eighth in a tough ACC that boasts five ranked teams (No. 3 NC State, No. 5 Louisville, No. 16 Georgia Tech, No. 20 Notre Dame and No. 21 Duke) and two teams just outside of the top 25 (Virginia Tech and North Carolina). The Blue Devils have the opportunity to jump North Carolina, who’s tied with Boston College for sixth in the ACC, on Thursday when they square off in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

With so many new faces, this will be the first time most of the Blue Devils experience the historic rivalry.

A year ago, Gordon and Taylor were on opposite sides of a rivalry, playing for Texas Tech and Texas. Taylor, a junior, spent two years at Texas, but realized during the pandemic that it was just too far from home. Durham, N.C. Is still an eight-hour drive from her home in New York, but that’s nothing compared to the 27 hours it took for her parents and siblings to get to Texas.

“My biggest thing is that I’m very independent,” she said. “But sometimes you just need someone to lean on.”

Taylor needed her family, and the move to Duke has allowed them to attend more games so far this season than over her two years at Texas.

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Lawson has led Duke to a 13-4 record in her second (and first full) season as head coach. (Brian Bishop/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For Gordon, the switch to Duke was more about a personal challenge and a deep connection with her coach. It wasn’t that she didn’t get along with her coaches at UConn or at Texas Tech, but something was missing.

“That bond wasn’t as strong as it could have been, and that is on me,” said the graduate student. “It’s a two-way street.”

With Lawson, the connection comes easily.

“I feel like our bond and our relationship is a little more special just because we are getting things started (with the program),” Gordon said. “It’s getting stronger and stronger.”

All eight transfers have their own reasons for choosing Duke as their second-chance school. But while they’re here now, they know the final destination has yet to be reached.

“You come here to win championships,” Gordon said. “So when I graduate and come back, I want to come back and see a program that we started, and we built a culture of winning within. And I feel like, with Kara and her staff and the people that we are recruiting, we can definitely do that.”

Eden Laase is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She previously ran her own high school sports website in Michigan after covering college hockey and interning at Sports Illustrated. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Three-Time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson Joins Nike x LEGO Collaboration

A graphic of a girl playing basketball and the LEGO Nike Dunk set's basketball Minifigure, B’Ball Head.
The Wilson-backed Nike x LEGO project is intended to "inspire kids everywhere to embrace the joy of active and creative play." (Nike)

Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.

According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.

The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.

Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.

Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.

The 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.
The 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set will be released on July 1st. (Nike)

How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection

The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.

The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.

Liberty vs. Indiana Game Sets WNBA Viewership Record on CBS

The Indiana Fever stands during the National Anthem at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before a 2025 WNBA game.
Saturday's Liberty vs. Fever matchup drew the second-highest viewership on record for CBS. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA is dominating the air waves in its 2025 season, with last weekend's slate of games blowing past yet another TV viewership record.

The New York Liberty's 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever averaged 2.22 million viewers on CBS, with the Saturday showdown marking the second-highest WNBA viewership in network history.

That clash follows a record-setting 2025 season tip-off, in which ABC's May 17th doubleheader became the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on ESPN's platforms, earning a 115% viewership increase over last year's regular-season coverage.

Notably, both New York and Indiana contributed to that record-setting initial Saturday slate. A 92-78 Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.3 million viewers, before the Fever's 93-58 defeat of the Chicago Sky claimed an average audience of 2.7 million fans.

The closing matchup between Indiana and Chicago made even more history, peaking at 3.1 million viewers to become the most-watched regular-season WNBA game in 25 years.

The Midwest rivals also tallied the second-largest audience in league history, surpassed only by the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game's 3.44 million viewers.

With Fever star Caitlin Clark set to miss at least four games with a quad strain, concerns over lags in attendance and viewership have started to crop up this week.

Those fears, however, might be overblown, as 11,183 fans packed Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena to watch the Washington Mystics take on the Fever on Wednesday night — while Clark looked on from the bench.

Washington Mystics Defeat Indiana Fever as Injured Clark Rides the Bench

Washington's Brittney Sykes lays up a shot during a 2025 WNBA game while teammate Aaliyah Edwards and Indiana's DeWanna Bonner, Lexie Hull, and Aliyah Boston look on.
Guard Brittney Sykes led the Mystics in scoring with 21 points. (Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Washington Mystics have continued to impress in the early 2025 WNBA season, earning another big win on Wednesday with an 83-77 victory over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

As the star guard watched from the sidelines, the Mystics leaned into their depth, securing the win behind a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from guard Brittney Sykes.

Now sitting sixth in the league with a 3-3 record, Washington's rebuild appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron looking pro-ready from the jump.

Seizing their opportunity as day-one starters, the pair put up a collective 29 points against Indiana on Wednesday, joining Sykes and forward Shakira Austin as the only Mystics to finish in double digits.

Indiana, on the other hand, looked shaky without their injured young superstar.

Despite veteran forward DeWanna Bonner coming off the bench to lead the Fever with 21 points on Wednesday night, Indiana dropped to 2-3 on the season with Clark out for at least three more games.

"We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana's starters with 14 points, told reporters after the loss. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be."

How to watch the Mystics and Fever in this week's WNBA action

Both Washington and Indiana will be back in action on Friday night, when the Mystics will test their form against the surging New York Liberty while the Fever tip off against the still-winless Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET.

Both games will air live on ION.

Euro 2025 Scores 1st US Media Deal as England FA Ups Lionesses Bonus

England players lift the 2022 Euro trophy after the UEFA tournament's final match.
England players will receive a record bonus from the FA should they repeat as Euro champions this summer. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

With the 16-team UEFA Euro 2025 set to kick off in Switzerland in less than five weeks, UEFA is seizing the opportunity to expand its global footprint following a breakout 2022 tournament.

The continental governing body is starting stateside, with Fox Sports announcing Wednesday that its platforms will air 20 matches from the upcoming 31-game European Championship live — marking the women's side's largest US media deal on record.

With no major events scheduled for the USWNT, international women's soccer will take center stage this summer, as the Euro, Copa América, and Africa Cup of Nations all return in July.

Fox Sports will also bring Copa América action to US viewers for the first time ever this summer, with broadcast details still to come.

Thousands gather in London's trafalgar Square to celebrate the Euro 2022 champion England team.
A second Euro trophy this summer would earn the Lionesses a £1.7 million bonus. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

England raises prize money for Lionesses

England is also upping its investment, with the FA agreeing to pay the Lionesses a record £1.7 million bonus package — nearly $2.3 million — should they successfully defend their 2022 title.

This year's total more than doubles the amount England players received for reaching the 2023 World Cup final.

While exact sums will vary, player payouts would average £73,000 each (over $98,000) — up some £18,000 ($24,000) from the Lionesses' 2022 earnings.

The move follows UEFA's earlier decision to double its own prize pool in 2025, raising the total purse to £34 million (almost $46 million), including an extra £4.3 million ($5.8 million) for the winner.

How to watch the 2025 Euros this summer

The 2025 European Championship kicks off on July 2nd when Iceland faces Finland at 12 PM ET before Switzerland takes on Norway at 3 PM ET, live on Fox.

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