The Duke Blue Devils had a Goliath-sized opponent on the other end of the court as they faced the No. 1-seed UCLA Bruins in the Elite Eight.
However, it looked like Duke was going to have a David-like performance, building a 39-31 lead over UCLA by halftime.
However, the star power on the Bruins' roster was too much for the Blue Devils to keep up with as the second half unfolded. When all was said and done, Duke was heading home, and UCLA was advancing to the Final Four with a 70-58 win to its name.
Lauren Betts unleashes beast mode to topple Duke
UCLA star Lauren Betts, who is one of the five finalists for the 2026 Naismith Women’s Player of the Year, went off in the second half, racking up points and bringing down rebounds with ease.
By the end of the game, Betts had earned 23 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and one steal, literally willing the Bruins to their dominant win over the Blue Devils.
Despite four of Duke's starters scoring in the double digits, it just wasn't enough to stave off the aggressive offense by UCLA. Taina Mair earned a team-leading 21 points, Riley Nelson recorded 13 points, Delaney Thomas earned 12 points, and Toby Fournier scored 10 points.
This was the second consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight for the Blue Devils and head coach Kara Lawson since she took over the program in 2020. They secured the regular-season and tournament conference titles, and Lawson was named the ACC Coach of the Year.
While Duke didn't make it to the Final Four or accomplish its ultimate goal, which is winning the National Championship, this season was something to be proud of, and the Blue Devils have an extremely bright future ahead of them.