On July 2, 2020 Duke announced that head coach Joanne McCallie had retired after thirteen years as head coach.[2] On July 11, 2020, Kara Lawson was announced as the new head coach.[3]
On April 22, 2020 Muffet McGraw announced she would be retiring as head coach at Notre Dame after thirty three years in charge. On the same day, Niele Ivey was announced as her replacement.[4]
Jade Williams – Duke Elissa Cunane – NC State Janelle Bailey – North Carolina Kamilla Cardoso – Syracuse Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech
Sam Brunelle – Notre Dame Elissa Cunane – NC State Dana Evans – Louisville Kiara Lewis – Syracuse Tiana Mangakahia – Syracuse Taylor Soule – Boston College Hailey Van Lith – Louisville
Elissa Cunane – NC State Dana Evans – Louisville Kiara Lewis – Syracuse Tiana Mangakahia – Syracuse
ACC Women's Basketball Tip-off
Prior to the start of the season, the ACC hosted two media days virtually. At the media day, the head coaches voted on the finishing order of the teams, an All-ACC team, a Preseason Player of the Year, and Newcomers to watch. The media day was hosted on November 11&12, 2020. A selected group of student athletes also took questions from the media on this day.[12]
At the media day, both the head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel predicted that Louisville would be league champion.[13]
ACC preseason polls
First place votes shown in parentheses.
2020 ACC Women's Basketball Preseason Polls
Head coaches
Blue Ribbon Panel
Louisville (13) – 223
NC State (2) – 210
Syracuse – 193
North Carolina – 157
Georgia Tech – 146
Notre Dame – 138
Virginia Tech – 125
Florida State – 124
Boston College – 120
Miami – 99
Duke – 74
Wake Forest – 73
Clemson – 56
Pitt – 37
Virginia – 25
Louisville (45) – 840
NC State (10) – 797
Syracuse (2) – 724
Notre Dame – 555
North Carolina – 547
Florida State – 516
Virginia Tech – 482
Boston College – 468
Georgia Tech – 452
Duke – 385
Miami – 359
Wake Forest – 258
Clemson – 183
Virginia – 149
Pitt – 125
Preseason All-ACC Teams
2020 ACC Women's Basketball Preseason All-ACC Teams
Note: The Coaches Poll releases a final poll after the NCAA tournament, but the AP Poll does not release a poll at this time.
Conference matrix
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team played 20 conference games, and at least 1 against each opponent. This marked the first year that teams played a twenty-game conference schedule.[14]
Duke suspended its season on December 25, 2020.[15] Virginia suspended its season on January 14, 2021.[16]
Boston College
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Miami
North Carolina
NC State
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
vs. Boston College
–
–
–
–
86–68 43–49
89–70 97–68
77–60
–
75–69 76–57
61–64 83–73
83–80
83–70 92–75
–
–
68–48
vs. Clemson
–
–
–
69–72 95–88 (2OT)
67–55 71–69
70–45
80–71 68–62
77–64
86–65
55–78
80–71 79–69
77–86 (OT)
55–71
70–64
66–69 72–65
vs. Duke
–
–
–
–
–
73–49
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
vs. Florida State
–
72–69 88–95 (2OT)
–
–
66–58 62–48
84–56 59–68
68–53 59–67
51–61
–
72–64
53–67
52–67
51–69
63–73
73–59 51–59
vs. Georgia Tech
68–86 49–43
55–67 69–71
–
58–66 48–62
–
85–70
56–70 56–67
84–59
84–75
67–82 69–67
60–65
63–76
–
54–56
44–73 61–52
vs. Louisville
70–89 68–97
45–70
49–73
56–84 68–59
70–85
–
76–79
68–79
74–60
65–71 61–78
58–82
54–67
–
67–71
63–65
vs. Miami
60–77
71–80 62–68
–
53–68 67–59
70–56 67–56
79–76
–
63–67 59–69
87–47
71–60
68–72
69–58 99–64
–
75–55
63–60 67–69
vs. North Carolina
–
64–77
–
61–51
59–84
79–68
67–63 69–59
–
69–76 82–63
73–78
72–81
68–92 88–76
–
66–54 73–69 63–68
57–54 74–77 (OT)
vs. NC State
69–75 57–76
65–86
–
–
75–84
60–74
47–78
76–69 63–82
–
–
53–83
61–68
–
87–89 83–71 (OT)
65–79 47–66
vs. Notre Dame
64–61 73–83
78–55
–
64–72
82–67 67–69
71–65 78–61
60–71
78–73
–
–
48–59
81–69
–
78–84 60–65
72–79
vs. Pittsburgh
80–83
71–80 69–79
–
67–53
65–60
82–58
72–68
81–72
83–53
59–48
–
80–57 71–67
–
88–71 74–55
64–61 (OT)
vs. Syracuse
70–83 75–92
86–77 (OT)
–
67–52
76–63
67–54
58–69 64–99
92–68 76–88
68–61
69–81
57–80 67–71
–
–
76–68
78–85
vs. Virginia
–
71–55
–
69–51
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
vs. Virginia Tech
–
64–70
–
73–63
56–54
71–67
55–75
54–66 69–73 68–63
89–87 71–83 (OT)
84–78 65–60
71–88 55–74
68–76
–
–
67–64
vs. Wake Forest
48–68
69–66 65–72
–
59–73 59–51
73–44 52–61
65–63
60–63 69–67
54–57 77–74 (OT)
79–65 66–47
79–72
61–64 (OT)
85–78
–
64–67
–
Total
2–11
5–12
0–1
9–7
12–6
14–2
8–10
8–9
12–2
8–7
3–12
9–7
0–2
8–8
8–10
Player of the week
Throughout the conference regular season, the Atlantic Coast Conference offices named a Player(s) of the week and a Rookie(s) of the week.