Two players from the Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball program were selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft, continuing a strong trend of talent emerging from the Triangle. Guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair both heard their names called on Monday night.
Seattle Storm picked Mair in the first round with the 14th overall selection, while the Golden State Valkyries took Jackson in the second round at No. 23. Both players earned WBCA All-America honors this past season.
Mair’s selection marks the 12th first-round pick in Duke history and the first since Lexie Brown in 2018. It also represents the first time since 2020 that two Duke players were drafted in the same year, and the first instance since 2014 that a pair went within the first two rounds.
This continues a recent pattern, as teammates from NC State Wolfpack women’s basketball — Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James — were both first-round picks in 2025.
Mair delivered a standout season, recording 201 assists to tie Chelsea Gray for the program’s single-season record, while also tallying 89 steals. She averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and two steals per game, earning All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team honors.
Over her collegiate career, which included time at Boston College Eagles women’s basketball, Mair totaled 1,367 points, 610 rebounds, and 675 assists. Her assist total ranks seventh in ACC history, ahead of players like Georgia Amoore and Olivia Miles. She is also one of just six Duke players to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists.
Jackson, meanwhile, capped off a decorated four-year career at Duke as a two-time All-ACC selection. She finished with 1,272 points and ranks second in program history with 235 made three-pointers. This past season, she averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
Known as one of the team’s most reliable perimeter shooters, Jackson knocked down at least 70 three-pointers in three separate seasons—an achievement matched by only two other players in program history. She also contributed 164 assists this season and delivered one of the year’s biggest moments, hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer against LSU Tigers women’s basketball to send Duke to the Elite Eight.
Together, Jackson and Mair helped elevate Duke back into national prominence. The Blue Devils reached the Sweet 16 in 2024 and made consecutive Elite Eight appearances, while also capturing ACC championships in 2025 and 2026 and securing the regular-season title for the first time since 2013.
During their time together, Duke compiled a 78–29 record, including a 41–13 mark in ACC play. This past season, the team finished 27–9 overall and 16–2 in conference competition.
Head coach Kara Lawson praised the duo following the team’s Elite Eight loss to UCLA Bruins women’s basketball, emphasizing their lasting impact on the program. She described them as a transformative class that helped reshape Duke into a championship-caliber team, setting a standard that will influence the program for years to come.
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