BIRMINGHAM, Alab. — Before every game, Duke guard Reigan Richardson meets with her coach, Kara Lawson, for a brief conversation.
The senior guard has been one of Lawson’s best players since she arrived on campus in 2022, after spending one season at Georgia. Richardson led Duke in scoring last season and, through the first two months of the season, was hitting her 12.4 average, again.
But the last few months, her shot has been off and that can fluster Richardson. But the meetings with Lawson helped center her.
They chat about the game and then Lawson checks on her mindset going into each game, helping to remind the North Carolina native the type of player she is.
“She keeps me focused and calm going into games,” Richardson, who had three points, but seven rebounds in Duke’s 47-38 Sweet 16 win over North Carolina on Friday. “Knowing she believes in me and trusts in me, it helps me going into games.”
Lawson has a lot of strengths as a coach, bringing her experience as a former Tennessee great and WNBA All-Star who previously coached as an NBA assistant before joining Duke in 2020. Her players say her calm demeanor and ability to instill confidence in them makes the difference that has the Blue Devils in their first Elite Eight since 2013.
When North Carolina jumped out…
