Following four seasons in the Duke women’s basketball program, senior guard Vanessa de Jesus is leaving the Blue Devils to seek new opportunities for her final season of eligibility.
After five years and four seasons of remarkable contributions to Duke Women’s Basketball, senior guard Vanessa de Jesus is stepping away from the Blue Devils to pursue her final year of eligibility.
Known for her ability to control the game with her court vision, shooting precision, and clutch moments, she helped guide Duke off the bench with an eight-point performance in their Sweet 16 win against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
In a heartfelt statement released on Instagram, de Jesus explained that it was time to seek out new challenges as she approaches the final year of her eligibility.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult decision,” she said.
“Duke has been the place where I’ve grown so much as both a player and a person. I’ll always treasure my time here, but I believe it’s time to embrace fresh challenges in my last year of eligibility.”
The 5-foot-8 guard started four games in the 2020-21 season, averaging 12 points. She went on to start 13 games in her sophomore year, averaging 4.2 points.
A knee injury though caused VDJ to miss the 2023-24 season, but De Jesus bounced back as a reserve point guard off the bench this year.
She also went toe-to-toe with Asia's best, playing as part of the Gilas Pilipinas Women in the 2023 FIBA Women's Asia Cup.
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