Over the last four years, the women's basketball team has come a long way.
There was a time when Duke could only dream of hanging with a team like Virginia. The Blue Devils could count on a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference losses to the Cavaliers each season. And it was a time when losing by just 20 points wasn't a bad game.
But times have changed.
After barely missing a bid to the NCAA tournament last year, Duke has--barring a late-season catastrophe--secured itself an invitation to this year's big dance. The Blue Devils have improved on their 14-15 (4-12 ACC) campaign of 1992 and are currently sitting pretty in the ACC's No. 3 spot.
"They've come a long way," UVa head women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan said. "They've got good size. They've got good athleticism. Their program's just really improved."
The most notable accomplishment of this year's Duke team can be traced to a single game--a 74-72 last-second win over defending national champion North Carolina. Junior Alison Day's short jumper, which clanged around the rim before finally falling through, lifted the Blue Devils over the then-third-ranked Tar Heels.
No question, this Duke team has its share of talent and experience. All-ACC forward Carey Kauffman and a vastly improved Day are staples in the frontcourt. In the backcourt, lightning quick point guard Kira Orr teams up with 1993 All-ACC freshman Jennifer Scanlon.
Many of the players on this team were a part of the transition that occurred when head coach Gail Goestenkors arrived in Durham three years ago, and they now comprise an experienced, 22nd-ranked 17-5 team.
The Blue Devils may have come a long way, but Duke is not--at least not yet--on the level of UVa or UNC.
How can this make sense? Yes, the Blue Devils might not be quite as good as Virginia, you say, but Duke already beat North Carolina this season. How can the two teams not be on the same level?
The answer: Duke lacks a single ingredient that both Virginia and UNC cherish--a superstar.
The Tar Heels boast one of two ACC Player-of-the-Year candidates in Charlotte Smith, who was honored at the ESPYs last night for her game-winning shot in the 1994 NCAA final. UVa's big threat comes in the form of Wendy Palmer, the other conference Player-of-the-Year candidate.
"I have a hard time trying to separate those two," Ryan said. "I think that Wendy has made a difference in our program because of the change in her attitude and the way that she's approached the whole year. Both players are just extremely important to their teams and are very different players."
But they both share one crucial attribute--they command the respect of opposing defenses, and that opens things up for their teammates. Witness UVa's victory over Duke Sunday: freshman Monick Foote stepped up in the waning minutes to hit a huge three-pointer which took the wind out of the Blue Devils' comeback sail. Foote's reaction to her own shot: "I just think I got lucky."
Part of it was luck, but part of it stemmed from the fact that the Duke defense was so concerned with keeping an eye on Palmer that Foote found herself free on the wing.
And if Palmer's supporting cast can continue to step up and hit those big shots, how good can Virginia be?
"I expect to see [UVa] in the Final Four," Goestenkors said. "They're that good. We just fell a little short."
But falling just a little short to the ACC leader and the winner of the last four conference championships is a pretty impressive feat considering Duke's regularly occurring 20-point losses of three seasons ago. And the Blue Devils think they can do even better.
"In the past it was, We can stay with them,"' Kauffman said after the UVa game. "But now it's not like we can play with them, but,We can beat them."'
On any given night, Duke can win, but it's still one marquee player away from a ticket to the Final Four.
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