Duke women’s basketball is the 2026 ACC regular season champions.
The No. 12/14 Blue Devils (21-7, 16-1 ACC) and head coach Kara Lawson downed Florida State, 80-52, on Thursday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium to claim their 13th ACC regular season crown. The preseason favorite to win the ACC, Duke will now be the No. 1 seed at the upcoming ACC tournament.
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It marks the first time in 13 years the Blue Devils have been crowned as the league’s regular season champions.
Senior Ashlon Jackson posted 15 points with four rebounds and two assists in the win while Taina Marr added 10 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Toby Fournier (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Delaney Thomas (22 points, 13 rebounds) posted double-doubles for the Blue Devils while Riley Nelson rounded out double digit scorers, posting 13 points with six dimes.
The Blue Devils outscored the Seminoles 47-23 across the final 20 minutes to pull away and claim victory.
“Outstanding second half performance by us, and just overall really proud of our team,” Lawson said postgame. “To win the ACC regular season title, the first time in 13 years, it’s a special accomplishment.”
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Duke overcame a 3-6 start to the season, its worst start under Lawson, to go on a 17-game winning streak before seeing it snapped on the road at Clemson on Feb. 22. The Blue Devils bounced back with their victory over the Seminoles to claim the ACC regular season crown.
The ACC tournament is set for March 4-8 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. Before that, Duke closes out its regular season on the road against rival UNC at Carmichael Arena on Sunday, March 1 (Noon, ESPN).
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Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke women’s basketball wins ACC regular season title
