Duke women’s basketball Player of the Week: Week 14

Elizabeth Williams

Statline: Monday, Feb. 16 at Notre Dame: 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 11 rebounds, one assist, two steals, one block; Sunday, Feb. 22 at N.C. State: 19 points on 8-14 shooting, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks

The good: The heralded Blue Devil senior led Duke (19-8, 10-4 ACC) in scoring in both games this week and was one of the few bright spots in what was otherwise a lackluster week that featured two Blue Devil 13-point losses. Williams was also very efficient from the field, shooting better than 50 percent combined for the week as her teammates struggled to find the range around her. In the two games, Duke shot less than 40 percent from the field and combined for just 109 points. Williams, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., also had a strong effort rebounding. pulling down 10 against Notre Dame—on the way to a double-double—and eight against the Wolfpack. Williams has made such an impact on the boards during her career that she now has more than 1,000 career rebounds—only the second Duke player to accomplish the feat.

The bad: When a team isn't hitting shots, it can't afford to give the ball away, and unfortunately for this year's Blue Devil squad, avoiding turnovers has been almost impossible without a true ball handler and this week was no different. Williams had seven turnovers in the two games and as a team, Duke committed 19 in each contest, which fueled the fastbreak of each opponent. Although the Fighting Irish and Wolfpack did most of their damage from the perimeter, they were able to take advantage of the Blue Devils' miscues, including those of the All-American center.

The bottom line: Williams is a cornerstone for this young Blue Devil squad, and this week she showed again how integral to the team she is. The 6-foot-3 center is a consistent scoring threat down low who clogs the lane and brings down boards on the defensive end. Although Duke struggled this week, it still has hope this postseason and a big reason why is the dominant play of its starting center. Williams combines with freshman forward Azura Stevens down low to give the Blue Devils a post duo most teams can't match.

Honorable mention: Stevens continues to come into her own as she progresses week after week in a standout freshman campaign. Against the Fighting Irish, Stevens recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sunday, she had the same stat line of 13 points and 10 boards against the Wolfpack. Although she too continues to battle turnover woes and had nine in the two contests, Stevens has become a reliable No. 2 option for the Blue Devils, who have lacked consistent scoring from players other than Stevens and Williams of late.