Duke women’s basketball may have come up short against South Carolina in the Elite Eight, but head coach Kara Lawson left the tournament with widespread praise for the performance and poise of her team. The Blue Devils held the defending national champions to just 54 points in a gritty 54-50 loss that came down to the final seconds on Sunday.
South Carolina entered the game as a heavy favorite, but Duke’s defensive intensity kept the Gamecocks uncomfortable for much of the night. The Blue Devils led by six in the third quarter and forced South Carolina into several tough possessions, including a stretch in which they managed only one point over six minutes. Freshman Toby Fournier led Duke with 18 points but sat out the final stretch, a coaching decision Lawson stood by postgame.
“We were fighting tooth and nail out there to see if we could come out on top,” Lawson said after the game, via GoGamecocks on X, formerly Twitter. “We just weren’t able to get it done.”
Still, the effort did not go unnoticed. Fans on social media praised Lawson’s game plan and how her team held a normally high-scoring South Carolina offense below 60 points. One user noted that “teams that typically score high have barely made it to 50” against Duke, crediting the Blue Devils’ defense in the game.
You have to give it to Kara Lawson because teams that typically score high, have barely made it to 50.
— RevDr Danielle L. Brown (@PastorDanielle) March 30, 2025
Credit to Duke and Kara Lawson. That defense is what made Gamecocks struggle as much as they did (in addition to the self inflicted nonsense). If they continue to improve they’ll be a Final Four team soon
— gAmkok (@_gAmkok_) March 30, 2025
Others described Lawson as “a hell of a coach” and predicted the Blue Devils will remain a serious threat next season. Several highlighted the team’s progress and growth under Lawson, who took over the program in 2020 and has now led Duke to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.
What a hell of a game by duke! Kara Lawson is a hell of a coach and they will be a force again next year! Dawn Staley is a hell do a coach! Went with her most poised players for the moment!
— C
(@ladieslove_chey) March 30, 2025
Kara Lawson put on a coaching clinic! Doubling the post in the post had South Carolina flustered for the whole first half.
— Snorenge (@snorenge) March 30, 2025
Many also praised Lawson’s composure and the team’s defensive discipline, pointing out that the Gamecocks had struggled in few games this season like they did against Duke. While the result ended the Blue Devils’ tournament run, it elevated the perception of Lawson’s leadership and the Duke women’s basketball program’s trajectory.
@DukeWBB absolute pleasure watching this team play in B’ham. As a former collegiate player and coach, Duke is in good hands. Kara Lawson is one of the best hands down. You have a new fans! Go Blue Devils
— Amy Sullivan (@AmySulli1020) March 30, 2025
Hard fought. Kara Lawson has this program in the right trajectory! They’ll be back next year! https://t.co/3c3hR03chq
—
(@Colttoonnnn) March 30, 2025
“I thought they forced us into taking some bad shots that almost ended our season,” South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley said, as reported by Andrea Adelson of ESPN. “But at the end of the day, I thought when we had to make plays off of broken sets, we did it in the fourth quarter, and I think that was the difference between them coming back.”
South Carolina now advances to the Final Four on Friday.
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