Duke's Kara Lawson wants more respect for ACC women's basketball
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Duke's Kara Lawson wants more respect for ACC women's basketball
Meghan L. Hall, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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DULUTH, GA ―Duke head coach Kara Lawsonbelieves the ACC is underrecognized nationally. She wants more acknowledgement for the league and its players.
"There's so much quality in our league. For whatever reason, our league doesn't garner the same amount of headlines as other leagues, and our players don't garner the same amount of headlines as other players, but the quality here is really high," Lawson said on Saturday afterher team held off Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
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"Look at [Taina Mair] to my left. That's one of the best point guards in the country. You just have to watch the games to realize that. She's a winner, and she competes, and she wins. She plays both sides of the ball, and she does whatever we need to win the game. Somehow, that quality has gotten lost in how we evaluate players."
Lawson said the most important stat for a point guard is winning. True to form, with under two minutes remaining in regulation,Dukewas up by just one point when Mair made a critical 3-pointer to push Duke up by four. The Blue Devils advanced to the ACC Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year and will face Louisville at noon on Sunday (ESPN).
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
3/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
4/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
5/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
6/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
7/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
8/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
9/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
10/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
11/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
12/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
13/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
14/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
15/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
16/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
17/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
18/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
19/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
20/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
21/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
22/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
23/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
24/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
25/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
26/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
Lawson wasn't the only ACC coach who recently asked for more national recognition.Louisville head coach Jeff Walzalso wants more acknowledgement.
"When we get a narrative, we stick with it. We aren't very good, at as stories develop and teams develop, of talking about them. And we're not the only team," Walz said.
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"We're gonna beat that dead horse as long as we can. That's just kinda what we do in women's basketball. So, it doesn't surprise me."
Lawson said the ACC helped grow her team because of the level of competition, but many point to Duke's non-conference schedule as a reason for the team's success.
"I don't know if the schedule made us win today or not, but I know it's gotten us to this point, and we grew to where we are now because of the schedule. Not just the non-conference, [but] also the league," Lawson said.
"I want to say this about our league because we go against some of the top teams and the top coaches in the country in our league, and everyone wants to talk about our non-conference schedule and how that prepared us. Our league prepared us, too. The ACC prepares you. You go against top players. That's how you grow and get better."
