Duke Blue Devils Womens

The Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I.

In 1974, Duke hired Emma Jean Howard to teach physical education, and to serve as the head coach of the women's basketball and volleyball teams. Initially, women's basketball was played as a club sport. In the first season, 1974–75, the team played locally, finishing second in the state with a 6–7 record. The women's athletic department merged with the men's athletics in 1975, and the second year is considered as the first official season of the program as a varsity sport. Howard remained as the head coach for the next two years. In 1977, Howard remained as the volleyball coach, while Duke moved up to Division I and hired Debbie Leonard to be the head coach of the women's basketball program.