Nobody would have expected this turnaround when Duke had begun their 2025-26 season coming off humiliating losses. It started with their season-opening loss against Baylor and continued with four consecutive ones against USF 85-72, SC 83-66, UCLA 89-59, and LSU 93-77. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, Lawson played a masterstroke and rallied the team to eight back-to-back wins, six of them coming in the regional conference itself.

With Duke’s victory over Stanford, 67-60, Kara Lawson answered her critics.

The turnaround is a stark contrast to the uproar following the team’s collapse against unranked West Virginia last November, a loss many felt was unacceptable by Duke’s high standards.

Many felt that even though Lawson had proved her mettle coaching the national team, she might not be the best fit for Duke. Critics also highlighted the significant differences between coaching an NCAA team and a national team.

Evidently, this win is even more rewarding for the coach herself to see just how far they have come.

Lawson made some key changes to make this transformation possible.

She amped up the defensive intensity in the back to force turnovers and, in turn, convert them into transition points. In the game against Notre Dame, an important 17-8 run began with a steal and layup from sophomore Toby Fournier.

She worked on the team chemistry that saw more fluid on-court action against Syracuse. Kara Lawson also balanced out the scoring as the game’s all five starters scored in double figures against Notre Dame.

Things got better, and the team finally found themselves back to their former glory. With the victories and success, the love and adulation followed.

Fans applaud Kara Lawson’s comeback

Kara Lawson’s subtle changes and key strategic adjustments did wonders. The team that once looked completely out of contention has mounted a remarkable comeback. One commenter highlighted the same change that happened within the team.

“Don’t look now, but @DukeWBB has been BALLING. Never count out a Kara Lawson coached team,” said the comment, highlighting how the team has made changes over the last 31 days. In fact, over the course of their last 7 games, Duke has compiled a noticeable statistic – 19.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 54.1 % FG, which makes them heavy favorites going into the next game against the Virginia Cavaliers.

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“Do I hear a ninth game win next?” came another comment, optimistic about the fact that Duke would have no issues getting past the Cavaliers, who look like the weaker team heading into this confrontation. The Cavaliers rely heavily on Kymora Johnson (18.4 PPG), with no other player scoring in double figures. In contrast, Duke boasts a more balanced attack with four players – Toby Fournier, Ashlon Johnson, Taina Mair, and Delaney Thomas – all averaging over 10 points per game. And that has been made possible only because the defense has more than done its job.

“They are now playing like the team we expected before the season started. The defense is back where we expected,” a user wrote, and that change is evident as the guards pressed higher up the floor, disrupting opponents and creating steals that led to transition points. Lawson improved the team’s communication and defensive rotations, limiting open looks and creating turnovers. Take the game against Notre Dame, for example.

Duke scored a season-high 26 points in the first quarter, the most points Notre Dame has allowed in the opening frame this season, while going 64.7% from the field. The first-quarter lead was enough to hold off Notre Dame for the rest of the game, as the Blue Devils outrebounded Notre Dame 39-31 and forced 16 turnovers, scoring 17 points off of them. It was the defense of Duke that stifled the Fighting Irish’s chances, sealing the fate of the game altogether.

Maybe Duke needed those losses early on to spur them for a cinematic comeback. But whatever it did only made Kara Lawson and the entire Duke roster even more determined to succeed. After weathering a brutal start to the season, Duke has transformed into a determined and formidable opponent, sending a clear message to the rest of the conference.