Riley Nelson (4) of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a 3-point basket by Taina Mair (22) against the Clemson Tigers during the second quarter of their Women’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal at Gas South Arena on March 6, 2026 in Duluth, Georgia.
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DURHAM
Retention has become one of Duke women’s basketball’s greatest assets in the transfer portal era, having lost only a handful of its primary players to other programs. Most departures in recent years have been to graduation.
Senior guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair are two Blue Devils among that group. Jackson, from China, Texas, is a four-year player. Mair, from Boston, has played three seasons at Duke.
They will each play in their final games at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday against Baylor — a rematch of the teams’ season opener in Paris — in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Round of 32.
“Being able to play great in front of them is the greatest gift that we can give back,” Mair said. “I think we’re both super excited.”
Taina Mair of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second quarter of the teams’ ACC Women’s Tournament semifinal at Gas South Arena on March 7, 2026 in Duluth, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox Getty Images
Mair played all four years in the ACC, playing at Boston College as a freshman. She joined Duke for her final three. Despite Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts being 40 miles from where she went to high school, Mair called Cameron Indoor Stadium “home.”
In three seasons together, Mair and Jackson have been key players in the Blue Devils’ progression during head coach Kara Lawson’s tenure.
They have gone 76-28 in three years together and 41-13 in ACC play. The duo helped Duke win back-to-back ACC Championships and the 2026 ACC regular season title, while going to the NCAA Tournament each season. In 2023-24, Mair and Jackson’s first season together, the team went to the Sweet 16. Last year, they made the Elite Eight.
Duke’s Taina Mair and Ashlon Jackson smile during a senior day ceremony prior to the Blue Devils’ game against North Carolina on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Additionally, Mair earned ACC Tournament MVP earlier this month. Then, she recorded her 657th career assist in the Blue Devils’ first-round game over the College of Charleston on Friday. She surpassed Georgia Amoore (Virginia Tech) and Olivia Miles (Notre Dame) for seventh-best in ACC history.
She ranks No. 8 in Duke history for career assists, recording 440 during her time as a Blue Devil.
“I think it just speaks to her consistency, her play-making ability,” Lawson said. “We talk about it all the time. She’s such a winner. … It’s hard to find a player with the consistency that she’s shown.”
Duke’s Ashlon Jackson drives to the basket past N.C. State’s Khamil Pierre during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 83-65 win on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown [email protected]
Jackson has been an All-ACC selection in two straight seasons, a two-time ACC All-Tournament team honoree and an NCAA Tournament All-Region player. Like Mair, she hasn’t received quite the same accolades as some other players around the country, but Jackson contributed every season.
This season alone, both players rank in the top three on the team for scoring and assists this season. Mair ranks No. 3 for rebounding, while Jackson is No. 5.
Their legacy, however, is more than athletic accomplishments. Sophomore Riley Nelson complemented their leadership and accountability. Lawson, meanwhile, recalled the way they treat recruits — with whom they will never play but want to positively impact the program — and how they gave her a gift on their senior day.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson gives instructions during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 81-64 first-round NCAA Tournament win over College of Charleston on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown [email protected]
“The most impactful class that I’ve had here, and this is my sixth year,” Lawson said. “They are in first place for sure; how consistent and solid they are as people, how committed they are to the team, and how much they love this program.”
Mair and Jackson are still itching to reach the Final Four after falling short against South Carolina a year ago, so they’re hoping Sunday isn’t the end of the road.
Duke looks to beat Baylor in one last hurrah for a second and unofficial senior day, hoping to send its veterans from Cameron with one more win.
“It came so quick. Freshman year, I was just trying to keep up with the pace. Now, I’m here,” Jackson said. “It’s very bittersweet to do it in front of our home crowd and to do it also with the best teammates in the world. Hopefully I don’t get so emotional tomorrow about it but yeah, it’s just been a great ride and a great journey, and there’s no other team, no other place I’d rather be to do it.”
