Duke, UNC women’s teams meet in NCAA Tournament for first time with Elite 8 berth on the line

When the NCAA Tournament bracket dropped on Selection Sunday, Courtney Banghart wasn’t surprised to see Duke on the same side of the bracket as North Carolina. The Tar Heels’ head coach said the ACC’s strength lends itself to teams facing each other in the postseason.

And now, after winning their opening-weekend games, the Tar Heels and Blue Devils will meet Friday in the Sweet 16.

“The Duke-Carolina rivalry is arguably the best in all of college basketball,” UNC guard Lexi Donarski said on Thursday. “For us to be able to meet in March Madness, I feel like (it) adds to the excitement and the fun.”

This will be the 111th meeting between the two programs, but what’s new is how much is at stake. They’ve played 16 times on a neutral court but never during the NCAA Tournament. Friday’s game in Birmingham will be a first.

Carolina leads the all-time series, 56-54, but they split the regular season meetings. UNC won the first matchup on Jan. 9, 53-46, in overtime at Carmichael Arena. Duke followed that up with a 68-53 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium to close the regular season.

Those games were about bragging rights and getting ready for conference and NCAA tournaments. This is about surviving and advancing; earning a spot in the Elite Eight for the first time under both programs’ head coaches.

The Blue Devils haven’t made the Elite Eight since 2013. The Tar Heels haven’t been there since 2014.

“Duke has had a really successful season — lots of props to them — but the fact that this is the first time we’re meeting at this stage, and the series is already tied 1-1 this year, it’s cinematic,” UNC freshman Lanie Grant said. “It’s perfect, and we’re excited to have a good game.”

Some form of the word “excited” seems to be the buzzword in both locker rooms. This will be UNC’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2022, and Alyssa Ustby is the only player who was on the roster for its meeting with eventual national champion South Carolina. The team looks forward to playing at this level. Plus, they get to do it where point guard Reniya Kelly grew up.

“We want to perform for everyone,” center Maria Gakdeng said. “We’re doing this for each other, and Reniya is part of that; part of that team, part of us wanting to win.”

Meanwhile, Duke is making its second consecutive regional appearance. It fell to UConn but held the Huskies to one of their lowest scoring outputs of the 2023-24 season.

Blue Devils guard Oluchi Okananwa said immediately after the loss that the team was disappointed not to advance, but she expected a quick return to the Sweet 16.

“All I feel right now is hunger. Because not only do I want it again, but I want more,” Okananwa said on March 30, 2024. “We’re coming back for more, and we’re just going to use this as fuel for next season.”

Duke did not lose any players to the transfer portal, and 11 of its 16 current players were on last season’s roster, giving the team experience at this phase of the tournament. Most Blue Devils, including guards Jadyn Donovan and Taina Mair, feel fewer nerves this time around because they know what to expect and learned from their loss a year ago.

Senior Reigan Richardson was the only player to say the jitters have increased, but hers stem from a desire to keep her final season from ending.

“We know that the stakes are high with it being March,” Richardson said. “It’s either win or go home. We’re all just looking forward to competing and leaving it all on the floor.”

Players from both teams said the winner will be the group that executes its game plan most effectively and plays harder. They can scout all they want, but the two programs are familiar with each other and know the personnel, tendencies and schemes. They have to be disciplined and detailed.

There won’t be any surprises, but it should be great TV.

“I think it’s going to be cool to showcase on even a bigger stage what the Carolina-Duke rivalry is,” Ustby said. “Obviously, it’s always a gritty game. It’s something that’s going to be pretty cool to show the rest of the country.”

Duke and Carolina have split the last six meetings, with the home team winning every matchup.

The Blue Devils are 63-26 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 26-7 as a No. 2 seed. The Tar Heels are 54-30 in its March Madness appearances and 13-4 as a No. 3 seed.

“Growing up a Carolina kid, the rivalry has been something that I’ve always been a witness to,” said Blanca Thomas, UNC center and Charlotte native. “I can’t wait to actually be a part of it, especially on a stage like this.”

This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Duke, UNC women’s teams meet in NCAA Tournament for first time with Elite 8 berth on the line."

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer