Duke women's basketball Player of the Week: Week 11

Oderah Chidom

Statline: Thursday, Jan. 29 vs. Pittsburgh: 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 10 rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes

The good: After missing both the Miami and Boston College contests with a dislocated shoulder, and coming in off the bench against North Carolina, Chidom was in the starting lineup Thursday night when the Blue Devils took on Pittsburgh in Durham. Making her presence known immediately, the sophomore put up the first points of the game with a layup and was a dominating presence on defense, pulling down five defensive rebounds. Chidom finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the third double-double of her career and her energy inside helped Duke build a 44-26 edge on the glass and cruise to a 62-45 win.

The bad: The Blue Devils continued to struggle with turnovers, giving the ball up 25 times on Thursday night. Led by Chidom—who had six giveaways—the contest against the Panthers became the ninth time Duke has had 22 or more turnovers in its last 13 games. The Blue Devils' inability to hold on to the ball led to 15 points for the Pittsburgh and although Duke scored 17 points off of 15 Panther giveaways, the carelessness of Chidom and her teammates with the ball continues to be the main obstacle each time the Blue Devils take the court.

The bottom line: Rebounding was the difference-maker against Pittsburgh, with Duke grabbing more than twice as many defensive rebounds as the Panthers and 18 more in total. Height advantages allowed for Chidom and Azura Stevens to combined for 24 rebounds alone, two fewer than the entire Pittsburgh team. Chidom’s performance was especially crucial against the Panthers after Elizabeth Williams committed two early fouls and struggled to score in the first half. Despite their ball-handling issues, the Blue Devils can play with anyone when Chidom, Stevens and Williams are attacking down low—that was shown again Thursday night.

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Honorable Mention: By continuing to dominate on both ends of the court, Stevens posted a game-high 14 points and 10 defensive rebounds Thursday. The 6-foot-5 forward also contributed three assists and a steal. The versatility of Stevens as a post player allows her to work well with both Chidom and Williams, and her height makes her a constant rebounding threat. Duke has had its fair share of issues so far this season, but has a chance to keep building on its current momentum when it hosts No. 8 Louisville Monday.