The legacy and history of Duke basketball speaks for itself.
On the men’s side, the program was led by the legendary Mike Krzyzewski for more than four decades. The man they called ‘Coach K’ won more than 1,100 games and five championships before retiring in 2022.
On the women’s side, the Blue Devils have appeared in 27 NCAA tournaments—ninth-most in history—including a 20-year streak from 1995 until 2015.
In short, they know ball in Durham, N.C.
As the women’s team has advanced to the Sweet 16, we’re taking a look back at the last time the Blue Devils made the Final Four of the women’s NCAA tournament.
When Did Duke Women’s Basketball Last Win the NCAA Tournament?
Unfortunately for Duke, the women’s program has never won the championship. But the Blue Devils have been close, appearing in four Final Fours in program history.
All four appearances came between 1999–06, under the leadership of head coach Gail Goestenkors.
The 2005–06 Blue Devils were a juggernaut of a team, averaging a nation-leading 86 points per game. A staggering 91.2% of Duke’s scoring from the year prior returned, which is what made this team so difficult to deal with.
Duke jumped out to a 20–0 start on the season, (with wins over No. 1 Tennessee, No. 4 Maryland and No. 16 Texas), scoring 90+ points in 12 of those games and sitting atop the ACC standings with a 7–0 record. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 2 in the AP poll.
A massive showdown with No. 3 North Carolina ended Duke’s winning streak, but it didn’t take long for the Blue Devils to bounce back, winning five in a row before losing to North Carolina again in the regular-season finale.
An upset loss to Maryland in the ACC tournament semifinals had some wondering if Duke would still receive a No. 1 seed. However, the Blue Devils had defeated the Terrapins twice in the regular season, and the selection committee ultimately leaned in Duke’s favor.
Duke won its first-round matchup with Southern by 69 points, then defeated USC by 34 in the second round. The Blue Devils blew out Michigan State by 15 in the Sweet 16 before squeaking by UConn 63–61 in the Elite Eight.
The Final Four was Maryland, North Carolina, Duke and LSU. Regardless of who would win, Duke had the opportunity for revenge. The Blue Devils defeated LSU 64–45 and Maryland knocked off North Carolina 81–70.
The national championship game was a heavyweight bout between two of the best basketball teams that season. Maryland entered the tournament with three losses (two of them belonging to Duke, the other to then-No. 2 Tennessee), but had defeated the Blue Devils in the ACC tournament.
Duke jumped out to a 10-point lead at halftime, but the Terrapins rallied to force overtime. There, Maryland did just enough to earn a hard-fought 78–75 victory.
How Duke Has Performed Since Its Last Final Four
While the Blue Devils haven’t returned to the Final Four since 2006, they’ve found plenty of success. Duke made the tournament in 14 of the following 19 years, including in each of the last three years under head coach Kara Lawson.
Can Duke Win An NCAA Championship Soon?
The Blue Devils were ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP poll this season, earning a No. 2 seed in the women’s NCAA tournament and reaching the Sweet 16.
Duke is led by freshman Toby Fournier, who averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds this season. In order to make it out of its region, Duke would (likely) have to upset Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks.
