COVID-19 halts De Jesus’ hot start for Duke

MANILA, Philippines — That’s it for the roaring rookie year of Filipina guard Vanessa de Jesus in the US NCAA after Duke Women’s Basketball opted out of the remainder of the 2020-2021 season due to health and safety concerns caused by the pandemic.

“The student-athletes on the Duke women’s basketball team have made the difficult decision to conclude their current season due to safety concerns,” said Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations and chief communications officer for Duke University.

“We support their decision, as we have supported the choices made by all student-athletes at Duke during this unprecedented time,” he added.

Since Dec. 16, Duke postponed all basketball-related activities, including three matches against Miami, North Carolina and UNC Wilmington, after two positive COVID-19 cases and contact tracing within its traveling party.

The powerhouse squad, under the tutelage of coach Kara Lawson, was off to a strong 3-1 start for the season before this decision to call off the rest of the campaign.

The 5-foot-8 De Jesus had a vital part in that early success as Duke’s starting point guard behind averages of 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in four games.

Born to both Filipino parents in California, De Jesus is the first Asian to ever play for the elite Duke women’s program.

A product of top high school program Sierra Canyon, De Jesus is also one of the prized Gilas Pilipinas women prospects for future international competitions after the pandemic.