Duke assistant, former pitcher continues playing career with Carolina Blaze
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- Wright was selected by the Carolina Blaze in the 2026 allocation draft on Dec. 1, 2025.
- Wright graduated in 2024 and went 19-3 with a 1.50 ERA and 189 strikeouts that season.
- Wright was brought back to Duke as an assistant coach last fall before joining the Blaze.
Duke softball lists its All-Americans on the left field wall. The most recent? Pitcher Jala Wright.
Wright, a 2024 graduate, never expected to be back on the dirt at Smith Family Stadium after winning the ACC Championship at home and lifting the team to its first Women’s College World Series appearance during her senior year. She thought her time in the circle in Durham was done.
This summer, the Carolina Blaze is giving her another opportunity. The team selected Wright in the 2026 allocation draft on Dec. 1, 2025. She became the second Duke player to join the Blaze, part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, after teammate Ana Gold’s 2025 Rookie of the Year campaign.
“It’s full circle, for sure. When I first walked into the stadium, my teammates were like, ‘Jala, what do you think?’ I said, ‘Guys, I might cry a little bit, but just don’t mind me,’” Wright told reporters on Monday ahead of the Blaze’s season opener. “I’m just happy to be here. I know what it feels like to win and lose in this stadium, but I’m just excited to share the love with my teammates.”
When Wright told her parents the Blaze was making Durham its home base, her mother cried. Her father emphatically yelled, “Let’s go.” Her dream of playing professional softball was coming to fruition — and she gets to do it where she’s known and loved.
This isn’t the first time Wright has returned home, though. In fact, she’s gotten to do it a few times. The Charlotte native started her college career at Michigan State before transferring to Duke after one season with the Spartans.
Wright served as a graduate assistant during the 2025 season and worked with now-pro teammate Karlyn Pickens. Pickens called Wright a great friend when the pitcher was in Knoxville and knew of her success with the Blue Devils. She’s excited to share a bullpen this summer.
“To be able to know her on the field, then off the field, and now get to play with her, it’s super awesome,” Pickens said.
Then, last fall, Duke head coach Marissa Young brought Wright back to Durham as an assistant coach.
It was sooner than expected. Parker Staggs left Duke after one season. Stags returned to Arkansas, his alma mater, as an assistant. Prior to his time in Durham, he spent five years as a student manager and graduate assistant.
Wright didn’t hesitate.
“Duke is home,” Wright said. “I basically grew up on this field, in the city. The opportunity first came around the fall … and I said yes immediately; packed up all my things. Who wouldn’t want to be at their alma mater with their family, with the people who made them?
“She helped me get to this, get to Duke, and she helped me become a professional. I will always be thankful for her.”
Wright left Duke as one of the best pitchers in the program’s short history. She went 19-3 in her senior season, with 34 appearances, and finished with a 1.50 ERA. She finished with 189 of her 449 career strikeouts during her final year. Wright ranks third in program history for wins (45), appearances (108), innings pitched (402.2) and strikeouts (447).
Additionally, Wright holds the school’s single-game strikeout record after recording 17 Ks in the win over Boston College during the 2024 ACC Tournament.
Wright was the unanimous ACC Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and ACC Tournament MVP, helping lift the program to its second conference title and leading the Blue Devils into the postseason. Duke won its regional and upset Missouri on the road in the Super Regional to make the Women’s College World Series. In her final season with the Blue Devils, Wright held a 19-3 record after 34 appearances in the circle.
The outfield walls, including her recognition, have been covered by Blaze signage since the end of the season. She’s OK with that, because it represents an opportunity to keep her softball dreams alive.
“I was more in my coaching hat when the setup was happening, but now to step on the field, wear all the pink, see the fixtures up; I just sit back and tear up a little bit,” Wright said. “This was all going on while I was coaching, but to be in the midst of it all, I’m grateful.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Duke assistant, former pitcher continues playing career with Carolina Blaze."
