guard Jadin DonovanThe third-ranked rookie in women’s basketball in the 2023 espnW 100 announced her commitment to Duke at Notre Dame on Monday.
“There are a number of reasons why I chose Duke, most notably because Duke’s scholarship is unmatched and one day the ball will stop bouncing, so I decided to use my degree to do as much as I could. It’s about taking it far,” Donovan told ESPN. “It’s also close to home and family.”
Donovan is the best player to commit to the Blue Devils since head coach Carla Lawson took over.
“The top two were the best options for me,” said Donovan, who also strongly considered North Carolina, Arizona, UCLA, and Tennessee. “[Notre Dame] coach [Niele] Both Ivey and Coach Lawson played in the WNBA and had NBA experience. … I want to pursue a degree in Communications and Journalism and Coach Lawson has a lot of experience and background in that area. I want to stay involved in USA Basketball, and she can relate to that. ”
Donovan has been a highly ranked player since stepping onto the floor at Sidwell Friends (DC). She burst onto the scene at her She Got Game Classic in December 2019, demonstrating her speed and leaping abilities.
Over the years, she developed a pull-up jumper and a series of finishing moves at the rim, beginning to show that she can also be a threat from the three-point line. She makes for an excellent passer who creates for her teammates, moves well without the ball, knows when to cut and how to play from the action with the right readings.
As a junior, Donovan played alongside top 100 recruits like the UCLA commit kiki rice (2nd place in 2022), Kia Miller (82nd in 2023), Kendall Dudley (4th in 2024) and Leah Harmon (35th in 2024), averaging 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 3.3 steals and 58% shooting from the floor.
The 6-foot Donovan won his second gold medal in USA Basketball this summer. Following her U16 FIBA Americas gold medal last year, she helped win her U17 FIBA World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, averaging 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 rebounds per game on a 60.4% shooting percentage. Recorded 2.0 steals.
Not only is she a lockdown defender the moment she arrives on campus, but she’s also a playmaker on the open court, reaching the paint and putting pressure on enemy defenses by knocking down tough challenge jump shots. I plan to become a person who can
Donovan’s commitment to Duke is no exaggeration to say the least for Lawson, who took over the program in July 2020. Ashlon Jackson And No.33 Shay BolinDuke also boasts Cheyenne Day Wilson and Georgia transfer ACC freshmen Reagan Richardson2021 McDonald’s All-American.
Plus, she could drive more hiring momentum.Duke is listed among several other 5-star recruits in the 2023 class, namely point guards Hannah Hidalgo (No.5) and Wing/Forward Madison Booker (No. 15), and some international talent.
