Krystal Thomas

Krystal was quiet in the first half, with only one shot attempt as Charlotte did a good job of shadowing her. She was a big presence on defense with 3 blocks, snuffing out any thought of Charlotte establishing a traditional inside game. In the second half, she was much more aggressive, scoring 8 points and clearing out more room to grab rebounds. Her hook shot is still a work in progress, but she's looking much lighter on her feet. Krystal seemed pretty lost when Duke went zone, leaving the basket completely unprotected.

Joy Cheek

This was Joy's best game of the year. It wasn't surprising to see her come out shooting, given that she's had some fast starts this year. She had 9 of Duke's first 22 points, but more impressive were her 7 first half boards. Cheek also had a key second half basket (during a Duke drought) and had that key, late-game block. It was weird to see her go just 1-4 from the foul line, but it was encouraging that she filled up every hustle stat, and was able to sustain that effort across the whole game. Joy was the one player who stood out as a star in this game, and it's something she needs to do in every game.

Keturah Jackson

This was an up-and-down game for KJ. Defensively, she was dominant. She forced steals (both by hitting the passing lane and with direct ball pressure), blocked a shot and was active on the boards. She was decent as a playmaker, getting assists to K.Thomas inside and J.Thomas for a back-breaking three. As an offensive player, she was not at all effective. She couldn't finish in transition, one-on-one, or anywhere else on the floor (other than a single jumper). She didn't take that many bad shots; she simply couldn't finish the ones she was presented with. It's a big reason why I think she's more effective off the bench; on a Duke team that is already struggling to find scoring, her presence as a starter isn't helping matters.

Bridgette Mitchell

Bridgette hit some big shots, inside and out, though she was a bit careless with the ball at times. Defensively and on the boards, she was a terror, blocking shots and forcing jump balls. She was key during Duke's big second-half run with 5 points and kept Charlotte at bay in the first half during another Duke drought.

Jasmine Thomas

Jasmine shot horribly (4-17), and most of those misses came off the dribble. She missed floaters, drives and short pull-ups. The good news was that she looked to become a dominant playmaker during a number of stretches during the game, carving up Charlotte during Duke's decisive second half run. Regardless of whether or not her shots are dropping, Duke is a better team when she has the ball and is making decisions. Proving her clutch nature, she drained a three that Duke needed to put the game away.

Karima Christmas

Karima came off the bench to hit a couple of threes, including one trey that tied the game at 9. She was her usual tough self on the boards, took a charge and poked away three steals. Christmas did get in early foul trouble, something that limited her first half minutes. She was just a trifle too aggressive on defense and was playing too much with her hands rather than her feet.

Allison Vernerey

Allison's clearly been working on her game. Charlotte scouted her well and kept her off the left block. Allison responded by driving across the lane and finishing with her right hand. She did get tagged with a three second call and traveling, but hustled like crazy. She dove on the floor frequently, forcing three held balls. She also had a nice high-low pass to K.Thomas for a score. This was a solid showing, with 6 points and 7 boards, and I think it's what we can expect on a regular basis against good teams. She was the first player off the bench and shared a number of minutes with K.Thomas. Her free throw form looked shaky as she bricked both of her attempts badly.

Chelsea Hopkins

Chelsea had a nice steal that led fairly directly to a J.Thomas score, but was otherwise not much of a presence.

Kathleen Scheer

Kathleen took a bad three and a good three, but both shots missed. Her best move was a pump fake in the corner followed by a baseline drive for the basket and the foul. It was a heads-up play, not just a good score but also a demonstration that she's not just an outside shooter, that other teams need to be "honest" when guarding her on the perimeter.

Alexis Rogers

Lexi alertly finished in transition and grabbed a couple of boards. She badly missed a jump hook and was at times a bit jumpy. I hope that she soon gets a few more extended minutes to get into the rhythm of the game.

Shay Selby

Shay only got in for a couple of minutes and got yanked when Charlotte made a comeback.