When center Chante Black finally gets the chance to pair up with forward Carrem Gay, it will mark the beginning of a new era for the Blue Devil frontcourt.
When Gay arrived at Duke a year after Black, the two posts players were dubbed "the Twins." At 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-2, respectively, Black and Gay share a physical likeness to merit the moniker, but their matching athleticism and power around the basket made the nickname even more appropriate.
Unfortunately for Duke, the twins have been chronically separated, kept apart by alternating injuries and the presence of 6-foot-7 Alison Bales, which prevented the duo from clocking significant time alongside one another.
Now, with the star center in the WNBA and both players healthier than they have been in a long time, the duo hopes to utilize the chemistry it has developed over the last three years to fill the void left by Bales.
"Ali was a great leader for [us in] the post, especially," Gay said. "She was really talkative and encouraged us to play well."
The honor-laden and record-holding center graduated as the No. 1 career shot-blocker in the history of the ACC with 434 swats over her four years. Bales' presence near the basket will be sorely missed on both sides of the ball and, in the eyes of head coach Joanne P. McCallie, is completely irreplaceable.
"I just think that Ali is a special player," McCallie said. "We do not try to replace Ali. We simply do the best with what we have."
And what Duke has are players with the athleticism and speed necessary to make up for the loss of Bales' size.
Even though Black redshirted last season to recover from a serious knee injury, the center insists she is back to full strength. Teaming with Gay, who started all 34 games last season en route to tallying the second-highest rebound total on the team, Black will be able to contribute to a faster-paced and mobile game near the basket.
"On the court we do similar things," Black said. "[Carrem is] a little bit smaller than me, so probably goes outside of the paint, but we're both athletic and versatile.... We have the ability to be very mobile post players, and I think that will help with our transition."
Again, the Blue Devils do not deny that the loss of Bales was a big one, but rather, they believe they have a chance to be equally or even more effective. And McCallie's touting of both the complementary skill sets and potential of Gay and Black does nothing but reassert those beliefs.
"I just see them play so well together," McCallie said. "They have so much respect for each other. [Chante's] got so many blocking moves and ability block-to-block, and Carrem likes to put that ball on the floor from the high post. There's so much she can do that way, [which makes for] a lot of interesting combinations for the post."
For the first time in a long time, the two will take the court together, and the combination could prove to be more than just interesting.
It could be dominating.
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