Emilee Skinner, the No. 7 recruit in the 2025 ESPN 100, has committed to Duke, she announced on social media on Thursday.
Skinner chose the Blue Devils and coach Kara Lawson over other finalists Notre Dame, TCU, UCLA and Iowa.
"I chose Duke because I like what coach Kara is building," said Skinner, a 6-foot point guard from Utah. "The culture and the people are amazing there. Coach Kara has done everything I want to do and I want her to be my mentor through my college career."
Skinner is a senior at Ridgeline High School and played club ball on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit with the Utah Lady Prospects. She's coming off a summer when she was on the USA Basketball U17 World Cup team that won the gold medal in Mexico.
"I started taking visits in the spring and then into the fall. When I saw different campuses and staffs, it helped me to learn what felt right and what I want," Skinner told ESPN about her process. "I built great relationships through this whole process and learned more about what it takes to be successful at the next level. I'm grateful for the coaches who took time to recruit me."
A big guard, Skinner combines a shifty and slashing style that allows her to get to the paint and create offense for her teammates.
She'll fit into Lawson's scheme as a knockdown perimeter threat and an effective finisher at the rim. She's also a savvy defender and a floor general and should see her game flourish when she arrives in Durham next year.
Lawson has made an impact on the recruiting trail since taking over the Blue Devils in July 2020, signing the 11th-ranked class in 2022, sixth-ranked class in 2023 and seventh-ranked class in 2024.
Last season, Duke made a surprising run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament as a 7-seed, defeating No. 2 seed Ohio State in the second round before falling to No. 3 seed UConn in the Portland 3 regional. It was Duke's deepest run in Lawson's tenure with the program.
Skinner is Duke's first commitment in the 2025 class.