Power of the post: Williams leading next Blue Devil great in Stevens

When Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie joked with senior Elizabeth Williams during the Blue Devils’ media day about getting scored on by a freshman in practice, the audience full of reporters couldn’t help but laugh.

Little did they know that what freshman Azura Stevens did to Williams that day was something that she would continue to do to some of the top players in the country throughout her first season at Duke.

“It’s definitely her length,” Williams said. “She does a really good job of keeping the ball high when she does get it and she’s tough to guard when she posts up.”

Coming into the season, the Blue Devils knew they had more questions than answers. With the departure of four senior leaders, it was evident Duke would have to transition to relying on youth. Enter Stevens, a 6-foot-5 standout capable of playing every position on the floor who averaged 29.6 points per game in her senior year at nearby Cary High School in Cary, NC.

“When I came on my visits, just being around the team, I knew Duke was somewhere I would be comfortable and these were the people I wanted to play with and that made it the right choice for me,” Stevens said.

Yet for Stevens, the transition to the college game was not an easy one.

With Williams sidelined with a knee injury during a two-game stretch—resulting in early-season road losses to ranked opponents Texas A&M and Nebraska—the freshman was thrust into a role that may have been too big for her. Stevens’ crushing traveling violation down the stretch against the Aggies and missed jumpers late in the game against the Cornhuskers overshadowed strong overall games by the forward.

“For me, the strength and physicality of the game were difficult to adjust to,” Stevens said. “I’m not that physical of a player, so it was a big adjustment. Stamina and being in shape for a full 40 minutes and learning to endure a road crowd were also difficult.”

Despite suffering their first three-game losing streak in seven years and a 31-point beatdown at the hands of then-No. 2 Connecticut, the Blue Devils hoped that Stevens’ learning experiences and the leadership of Williams would help carry them in conference play.

And through its first 11 conference games, Duke has received everything it expected and more from the freshman. Stevens has averaged 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest against ACC foes and has consistently created mismatches with her size that have allowed teammates Rebecca Greenwell and Ka’lia Johnson to thrive as well.

“She’s a very versatile player and there’s really nothing she can’t do,” McCallie said. “She has to just bring the energy to her game with defense and rebounding.”

With her every step of the way has been the team’s senior leader, Williams, who has taken the freshman under her wing. Although Stevens’ play has been a testament to her undeniable skill and ability, it has also shown the evolution of Williams as a leader.

“The expectations of a senior group versus a freshman group are certainly different,” Williams said. “Over the season, you learn how to talk to the younger players. It’s important for us to keep reminding her that it’s okay to make mistakes and that she’s very capable.”

The parallels between the two are undeniable. Both came into Duke as highly-touted talents and possess skill sets that make them a difficult matchup for oppponents, even as freshmen.

For Williams, a punishing post game and a knack for blocking shots helped her become the consensus National Freshman of the Year. Now a senior, the center is in prime position to be one of the top picks in the 2015 WNBA draft. For Stevens, a smooth outside shooting stroke—along with the ability to use her height to score in the paint—has made her a terror for opposing teams.

But irrespective of Williams and Stevens’ individual talents, what the duo has done for each other is nothing short of remarkable.

The play of Stevens has given Duke another option to go to on offense and even taken away some of the double-and-triple teams that Williams has faced in past years. The Blue Devils’ victories against Pittsburgh and then-No. 8 Louisville—two games in which Williams was held scoreless in the first half—have illuminated the superb play of Stevens and Duke’s ability to get points from sources other than their All-American center.

Williams has had moments to shine this season as well. Whether it was her career-high 33 points against North Carolina or her near triple-double against Clemson, the Virginia Beach, Va., native has continued to amaze players and coaches alike. Yet for Stevens, Williams’ play throughout the season has resonated because of more than just her vicious blocks and dominating post moves.

“She’s always leading by example and she always comes out and plays a consistent game,” Stevens said. “She might not be having a great shooting night, but she’s still out there fighting and hustling for 40 minutes.”

With her success both on the court amidst high expectations and off the court at one of the most rigorous academic institutions in the country, Williams certainly seems to be the ideal choice to mold Stevens into Duke’s next great player.

“Elizabeth is a great mentor because she’s very steady, focused and serious about improving,” McCallie said. “It’s a good thing for Azura to see the time Elizabeth has put in coming back from her injuries and even with her free-throw shooting.”

As the season winds down and postseason tournaments approach, the Blue Devils are preparing to face a day that has been slowly approaching—life after the graduation of Williams.

Although Williams won’t be walking onto the court next season with the No. 1 on the back of her jersey, her influence on Duke women’s basketball is sure to remain through the impact she has had on Stevens. The experience the freshman has built going up against the preeminent defender in the game in practice has helped her develop a confidence that she can score anytime, on anybody.

For now, the passing of the torch remains distant on the horizon. Despite their early struggles, the Blue Devils find themselves just one game back of the top spot in the ACC and are getting hot right as March approaches. With a decisive size advantage against every team in the country, Duke knows that it is just a couple improvements in the turnover and 3-point defense categories from making a deep tournament run.

But now more than ever, it has become clear that the next face of the Blue Devils may have arrived.