Duke women's basketball dealt with little roster turnover last season, and this season, it's expected to be the same as the only player who is sure to leave after the Blue Devils 54-50 Elite Eight loss to South Carolina is Reigan Richardson, who is out of college eligibility.
However, Kara Lawson has now lost her first player to the transfer portal this offseason, as sophomore Louann Battiston will enter.
Battiston, a 5'5 "guard from Belgium, has been in Durham for the past two seasons and has appeared in 17 games, including 12 this past season.
She averaged 1.1 points per game on 37.5% shooting from the field across her two seasons with the Blue Devils and Lawson. Now, the rising junior will look for an elevated role in a new home.
Battiston scored a career-high three points earlier this season in Duke's 81-46 victory at SMU in late January. She also got the chance to appear in the Blue Devils' Round of 64 game against 2-seed Lehigh in this season's NCAA Tournament.
In July of last year, Battiston suited up for the U20 Belgian National Team at the FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket event.
For the Blue Devils' coaching staff, losing Battiston won't do much to hurt the rotation next season as the sophomore struggled to find minutes through her two seasons in Durham. Lawson is still hoping to retain most of her production from last season, and there's great potential for that to happen.
Given how little transfer portal chaos the program had to deal with last season, it's hoped that this season will be similar. The Duke women's basketball program has a chance to retain four of its top five scorers from a team that won the ACC Tournament Championship, earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and made it to the Elite Eight.
One of those scorers includes ACC Rookie of the Year Toby Fournier, who the program hopes will take a massive leap next season.
It's been proven time and time again in college basketball that roster continuity matters. If the Blue Devils can bring back the majority of its offensive production from a season ago, a Final Four hunt for the team is certainly in the realm of possibilities.