Blue Devil makeover: A look at Kara Lawson’s transfer-fueled Duke roster rebuild
The next Duke women’s basketball team will have little resemblance to the squad that played four games last December before opting out of the rest of season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Entering her second season as Duke’s coach, Kara Lawson’s overhaul of the roster continued Monday when Imani Lewis, a second-team, all-Big 10 selection at Wisconsin last season, said she’s transferring to Duke to play next season.
“I feel great about joining Duke,” Lewis told the News & Observer. “I am super excited for this experience and I am happy to make history with my new family.”
Lewis, a 6-1 forward who averaged 15 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Badgers last season, is the fifth transfer from another Power 5 program Lawson has secured for next season’s Blue Devils.
In addition to Lewis, Duke has added 6-1 guard Nyah Green from Louisville, 6-0 guard Lexi Gordon from Texas Tech, 5-11 guard Celeste Taylor from Texas and 6-4 center Amaya Finklea-Guity from Syracuse.
Those five transfers join five Duke players who remain on the roster from last season’s team. They are 5-10 guard Miela Goodchild, 6-3 forward/center Onome Akinbode-James, 6-5 center Jade Williams, 5-10 guard Jiselle Havas and 5-8 guard Vanessa DeJesus.
Duke also signed 6-1 guard Lee Volker from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Virginia, last November.
Lawson became Duke’s coach last July, replacing Joanne P. McCallie. Duke went 3-1 last December before the program went on pause due to positive COVID-19 cases. The health situation caused the players to decide to opt out for the remainder of the season.
Nyah Green at Louisville
Green entered the transfer portal in December, picked Duke and enrolled at the school for the spring semester in January. The former McDonald’s All-American, rated No 12 in the Class of 2019, redshirted during the 2019-20 season and played just five games for the Cardinals.
“We are thrilled to have Nyah join the Duke family,” Lawson said in a statement last January. “She is a young woman who is focused on achieving at the highest levels both academically and athletically. Nyah brings a high level of skill and versatility to our team. Our staff can’t wait to get on the court and work with her.”
NCAA rules prevent Lawson from commenting on the other transfers as they have yet to enroll at Duke.
Lewis played three seasons at Wisconsin, averaging 13.8 points per game during her career.
Other incoming super seniors
Finklea-Guity announced in a Twitter post last Wednesday she would spend her super senior season at Duke. She played four seasons at Syracuse, averaging 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds last season, and is taking advantage of the NCAA rule that the 2020-21 season doesn’t count against a players’ eligibility to play an additional season for the Blue Devils.
“Thank you to Kara Lawson and the Duke coaching staff for giving me an opportunity to play my post grad year at Duke,” Finklea-Guity wrote on Twitter. “Excited to be A Blue Devil.”
On April 10, Taylor announced on Instagram she would join Duke after leaving Texas.
In two seasons with the Longhorns, she started 52 games and averaged 12.3 points while helping Texas reach the NCAA tournament Elite Eight last month. She scored 24 points when Texas upset No. 3 seed UCLA 71-62 in the second round and added 15 points with 11 rebounds in the Longhorns topped No. 2 seed Maryland 64-61 in the Sweet 16.
“I am so excited to say that I will be playing for Coach Kara and the rest of her staff,” Taylor wrote on Instagram. “I firmly believe that things are meant to be. God has led me exactly where I need to be and I couldn’t be more confident. Cameron Crazies I am ready for y’all.”
At Texas Tech as a senior last season, Gordon averaged 15.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. Like Finklea-Guity, she’s taking advantage of the extra season of eligibility to play for Duke. Gordon began her career at Connecticut before transferring to Texas Tech.
This story was originally published April 19, 2021 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Blue Devil makeover: A look at Kara Lawson’s transfer-fueled Duke roster rebuild."