Williams, Stevens receive All-ACC honors

As Duke awaits its quarterfinal opponent in the ACC tournament Friday, two Blue Devils picked up multiple all-conference honors.

Senior Elizabeth Williams was named a first team All-ACC selection and picked up ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and freshman Azura Stevens was selected to the All-ACC second team and to the conference's All-Freshman team.

With Tuesday's honor, Williams joins former Duke star Alana Beard as the only two players in program and conference history to be receive four first team All-ACC selections. The senior is averaging 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 50 percent from the field. Her 2.4 assists per game are the most by a center in the nation.

A two-way player throughout her career in Durham, Williams' Defensive Player of the Year honor is also the fourth time she has brought home the defensive hardware. The Virginia Beach, Va., native has been a prolific and emphatic shot-blocker down low and sits 27 blocks shy of breaking the ACC record owned by former Blue Devil Alison Bales.

Stevens arrived on the conference stage as one of the ACC's most versatile players, nearly mirroring Williams' productivity with 14.1 rebounds and 8.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5 forward has been effective both in the post and from beyond the arc, stretching the floor by knocking down 11 3-pointers. Even as Duke struggled down the stretch, the Raleigh, N.C., native finished the regular season strong, posting double-doubles in four of her last five games.

Williams, Stevens and the Blue Devils—the ACC tournament's No. 4 seed—will await the winner of Thursday's second-round game between No. 5 Syracuse and No. 13 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons topped No. 12 Boston College in Wednesday's play-in round.