Duke women's guard Emilee Skinner, No. 7 recruit in 2025

Emilee Skinner, the No. 7 recruit in the 2025 ESPN 100, has committed to Duke, she announced Thursday on social media.

Skinner chose the Blue Devils and coach Kara Lawson over fellow finalists Notre Dame, TCU, UCLA and Iowa.

“I chose Duke because I like what coach Kara is building,” said Skinner, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Utah. “The culture and people there are great. Coach Kara has done everything I wanted to do and I want her to be my mentor throughout my college career.”

Skinner is a graduate of Ridgeline High School and played club ball on the Adidas 3SSB circuit with the Utah Lady Prospects. She is coming off a summer in which she was on the USA Basketball U17 World Championship team that won the gold medal in Mexico.

“I started making visits in the spring and then the fall. Seeing different locations and employees helped me figure out what felt right and what I wanted,” Skinner told ESPN about her process. “I have built great relationships throughout this process and learned more about what it takes to be successful at the next level. I’m grateful for the coaches who took the time to recruit me.”

A tall guard, Skinner combines a slick and sharp style that allows her to get to the defensive line and spark offense from her teammates.

She fits Lawson's mold as a devastating perimeter threat and effective finisher at the rim. She is also an accomplished defender and general secretary and should see her game blossom when she arrives in Durham next year.

Lawson has made an impact on the recruiting industry since taking over the Blue Devils in July 2020, signing the 11th-ranked class in 2022, the sixth-ranked class in 2023 and the seventh-ranked class in 2024.

Last season, Duke made a surprise trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as a seventh seed, defeating No. 2 seed Ohio State in the second round before losing to No. 3 seed UConn in the Portland 3 Regional. It was Duke's deepest run of Lawson's tenure with the program.

Skinner is Duke's first commitment in the class of 2025.