But in games like Thursday\u2019s against Clemson, when points are hard to come by and the defense is stout, the Tar Heels will have moments where they just need a bucket. As of late, it has looked like Harris is the one most capable of getting one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The IX Basketball, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom powered by The Next Injury news in Durham<\/p>\n Just a few miles down the road from the Tar Heels, head coach Kara Lawson<\/a>\u2019s No. 11 Duke team officially announced that freshman guard Emilee Skinner<\/a> and junior forward Jadyn Donovan<\/a> would both be out for the remainder of the season with lower-body injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Donovan exited a December game against South Dakota State after appearing to sustain a head injury on a hard fall, leaving plenty of unanswered questions about what happened to her lower body and whether she plans on returning to Duke for her senior season. <\/p>\n She had been a key starter for the Blue Devils in her freshman and sophomore years, but a move to a guard-like role hampered Donovan\u2019s output in the current campaign. She went on a five-game scoreless streak before sustaining the injury that took her out against the Jackrabbits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Skinner played in just three games of her first season with the Blue Devils and will likely look to pick up a medical redshirt to save eligibility for the coming years. Her last game was Dec. 7 against Virginia Tech, where she scored seven points in 13 minutes. <\/p>\n A hyped-up prospect coming into the season, she\u2019ll likely find herself playing an instrumental role next season, with starting guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair graduating at the end of this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The loss of Skinner also leaves a gaping hole in the Duke\u2019s current rotation, as the Blue Devils will now be operating with an awfully thin backcourt. Look for freshman Anna Wikstrom<\/a> to continue picking up some minutes when she\u2019s needed, although she hasn\u2019t been stellar for Lawson\u2019s group so far. She has struggled with ball security and probably hasn\u2019t played the sort of defense requisite to be a regular contributor in the Duke system.\u00a0<\/p>\n Your business can reach over 3 million women\u2019s sports fans every single month!<\/p>\n Here at The IX Basketball<\/a> and The IX Sports<\/a>, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women\u2019s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com<\/a> to discuss ways to work together.<\/p>\n For Pittsburgh, a bad year gets worse<\/p>\n Duke\u2019s problems are nothing compared to the news out of Pittsburgh, though. Six former players filed lawsuits against current Panther head coach Tory Verdi, alleging a variety of unsavory comments, actions, and Title IX violations. <\/p>\n Favor Ayodele<\/a>, Raeven Boswell<\/a>, MaKayla Elmore<\/a>, Brooklynn Miles<\/a>, Bella Perkins<\/a> and Jasmine Timmerson<\/a> each filed individual suits against Verdi and the university<\/a>, all represented by attorney Keenan Holmes.<\/p>\n The lawsuits claim that Verdi was verbally abusive to his players, body-shaming them, creating a hostile environment and retaliating against anyone who spoke up against his offenses. <\/p>\n In one instance, he allegedly told an international player to \u201cgo back home because ICE is coming.\u201d In another, he reportedly claimed, \u201cEvery night I lay in bed, I want to kill myself because of you,\u201d in reference to his team\u2019s performance. <\/p>\n The suits also allege that Verdi sowed racial division between the team\u2019s Black and white players and that university administrators ignored repeated complaints about his behavior.<\/p>\n
The IX Basketball<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/verdi-imagn-scaled.jpg\")
Pittsburgh head coach Tory Verdi answers questions from the media at ACC Tipoff on Oct. 7, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C.
(Photo credit: William Howard | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n