Just over a month apart, senior Joy Cheek and junior Jasmine Thomas joined an elite cadre of Duke players to score 1,000 points over the course of their careers in Durham.
On Jan. 29, Cheek scored her 1,000th career point to become the 25th woman in Duke history to reach that milestone. Six games later against Maryland, Thomas—a year earlier than her teammate—joined her as the 26th member of the exclusive group.
“It means a lot to be amongst that group of women,” Cheek said after reaching the mark. “It’s an honor. It credits your hard work and how much you put forth. I know we’ll have some more ladies on that team that will be right behind me.”
Although a year younger, Thomas followed Cheek less than a month after.
“It was never really anything I thought about,” Thomas said. “Scoring is just something I can do and I guess over time, [points] add up. It’s cool to get there and be part of history, but [now it’s time to] move on.”
Entering Friday’s ACC tournament quarterfinal, Cheek has scored 1,081 points as a Blue Devil, while Thomas has amassed 1,039 points. Head coach Joanne P. McCallie praised the pair’s achievements.
“I just think it’s great for them,” McCallie said. “It’s an individual accomplishment, but a well-deserved individual accomplishment. Joy’s been a mainstay, a terrific person for us as a senior leader. Jas is incredibly talented as a junior. I’m very proud of both of them.”
McCallie is also using Cheek and Thomas’s accomplishment as an example for the younger players to follow.
“It sends a message that if you work hard and you really commit yourself, good things happen and fun things happen,” McCallie said.
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