The 2024-25 campaign for Virginia women’s basketball had been a tale of two phases. The first was a ghastly start in which the Cavaliers (10-7, 2-3 ACC) entered the new year with zero wins against Power Four competition. But as 2025 arrived, so did a spark of hope. Virginia earned consecutive ACC wins entering Sunday’s clash with No. 14 Duke. A chance to continue a promising ascent in the conference standings arrived as the Blue Devils (13-4, 4-1 ACC) entered John Paul Jones Arena. Unfortunately, that chance was gradually fumbled away as Duke clawed its way to a 60-55 victory, and Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s squad was left with another frustrating loss. However, the Cavaliers held a lead for most of the game.
The biggest takeaway is that a major strength emerged — team defense. Virginia held the Blue Devils scoreless for the first four minutes of play. Duke began the game shooting 0-9, including 0-3 from three-point range. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils made just 19 percent of their shot attempts. Duke entered Sunday’s contest shooting 46.4 percent. While it would be irresponsible to completely attribute the drop-off to the Cavalier defense — Duke missed its fair share of manageable shots — it can certainly be stated that Virginia held strong on the defensive end.
Before Sunday, the Blue Devils had scored double-digit points in a quarter in 64 of 68 opportunities this season, for a success rate of 94.1 percent. The Cavaliers left a stain on that sparkling statistic.
Then there was another key development — sophomore guard Olivia McGhee stepped up on the offensive end. She led all scorers with eight points in the first half while connecting on 66 percent of her three-point attempts. Usually, Virginia’s offense has featured a heavy dose of sophomore guard Kymora Johnson with some help from senior forward Latasha Lattimore — who played world-class defense and contributed 14 points Sunday. But as of late, McGhee has confidently joined that duo as a legitimate scoring threat.
Entering halftime, Virginia held a 29-20 lead. A nine point lead may not seem too significant, but in this contest, points were at a premium. Factoring in the Cavaliers’ seemingly impenetrable defense in the paint with Duke having made just one of 10 three-point attempts, the Cavaliers’ lead felt insurmountable.
Regardless, the Blue Devils were one offensive surge away from changing the dynamic of what had previously been a stable Virginia lead. That surge came in the third quarter, as Duke scored 19 points — nearly matching their first half total of 20. Entering the final period of play, the Cavaliers held a dwindling 43-39 lead.
Duke quickly captured a slight 44-43 advantage early in the quarter — but McGhee promptly responded with a three-point shot to tie. The final seven minutes of the game were an all-out brawl as each squad battled to corral rebounds. Honoring the fact that Sundays are usually for the aggressive sport of football, elbows were thrown and shoving was frequent. Ultimately, Duke fought past the Cavaliers — outscoring them 21-12 and claiming a 60-55 win.
Unfortunately, festering issues persisted. Virginia trailed 55-57 with possession and 51 seconds left — but did not score for the remainder of the game. Sophomore forward Edessa Noyan attempted a three-point shot that would have taken the lead, but missed. According to Agugua-Hamilton, the plan was to take a two-point shot with a higher likelihood of success and a subsequent tie.
“We blew the play, but I don’t really need to get into that,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We didn’t execute.”
In addition, only four Cavaliers scored more than six points throughout the contest. This offense disappeared in the fourth quarter yet again as Virginia fumbled what could have been a signature win. But despite the loss, this team is still markedly better than it was before the new year.
“I thought we competed,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We fought, really proud of our fight. If that’s the No. 14 team in the country, we’re not far from that.”
The Cavalier defense is emerging as a legitimate force in the ACC. If timely offense can emerge as well, there is still a chance to get the season back on track. There will be opportunities to bounce back, namely in a brief road trip to Virginia Tech Thursday and then NC State Sunday.
Virginia was once firmly in the doldrums of the ACC standings. With two conference wins and three conference losses, there is a chance it still might be. But a new year is here, and apparently, so is a refreshed Cavalier squad that can give any ACC foe a decent fight.
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