The Duke women’s basketball team ended its season amid the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. The men’s team was planning to continue playing.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, as the school did not publicly announce the decision.
The Duke women’s basketball team is on hiatus since December 16 due to two positive COVID-19 tests and tracking contacts during the program’s travel party. The Blue Devils (3-1) postponed games against Miami, NC State and UNC Wilmington. The team’s next scheduled contest was against Louisville on Thursday.
The Blue Devils are the first Power 5 school to start this season and will not finish it because of the virus. The Ivy League gave up winter sports in November before the start of the basketball season. And a few other schools have decided not to play this year.
New coach Kara Lawson, who was hired in July, said this month: “I don’t think we should play right now. That’s my opinion on that.” That came a day after Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski asked why he was playing basketball in college in the middle of the pandemic.