Duke Claims ACC Women's Title
Duke rallied to beat Louisville 70-65 in overtime to win their second consecutive ACC women's tournament title. Taina Mair and Delaney Thomas each scored 19 points, with Mair adding 12 rebounds, while Riley Nelson hit a crucial three-pointer as the shot clock expired to seal the victory for the Blue Devils.
This victory marked Duke's 10th ACC Tournament title in program history and made them the first team to win back-to-back championships since NC State in 2020 and 2021. The overtime thriller was the first time in 17 years that the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament championship game required an extra period to determine a winner. The Blue Devils entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed after securing their first outright ACC regular-season title since 2013 with a 16-2 conference record. Under the guidance of head coach Kara Lawson, Duke has seen a resurgence, culminating in this regular season and tournament championship sweep for the eighth time in program history, the most among current ACC members. Louisville, the tournament's No. 2 seed, finished the regular season with a 15-3 conference record. This was the Cardinals' fifth appearance in the ACC Championship game, having last won the title in 2018. They led for over 35 minutes of the contest before Duke's late rally forced overtime. Tournament MVP Taina Mair was a consistent force for Duke, while a critical, late-game three-pointer by Riley Nelson with 27 seconds remaining in regulation momentarily put the Blue Devils ahead. This followed a crucial sequence where a 10-second violation was called on Louisville, shifting momentum in the final minute. Both teams now await their seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Before the ACC final, both Duke and Louisville were projected as No. 3 seeds, and this hard-fought championship result is expected to influence their placement in the national bracket.
