Duke women's basketball Player of the Week: Week 3

Elizabeth Williams

Statline—Sunday vs. Marquette: 23 points, 11-of-15 shooting, four blocks, two rebounds, three steals in 37 minutes.

Thursday vs. Xavier: 18 points, 9-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks in 33 minutes

The good: Ever since stepping on the court in a Duke uniform, Williams has been a force in the paint for the Blue Devils. She played exceptionally well during this week's two games, which is a promising sign that she will take a dominant role throughout this season. Williams' four blocks in each contest show how strong her defensive play inside the paint can be, while the point totals represent a crucial aspect of Duke's offensive gameplan, which relies on post play to open up shots from beyond the arc.

The bad: Though Williams has contributed significantly on both ends of the floor, her rebounding numbers, merely two in the game against Marquette, will need to improve to compete with top opponents like Connecticut in the near future. Ball security—especially in the post—has also been a problem Williams will need to address, as she had five turnovers in both contests combined.

The bottom line: William's looks to be hitting her stride in terms of offensive efficiency and defensive intensity. With her patrolling the paint on both ends of the floor, there is little to stop the Blue Devils from controlling the basket in most contests. The biggest question for Williams is whether she can rebound the ball or not as that has been a recurring issue since last season. The adage is that defense and rebounding win championships, and Williams will play a large role in making a title possible for Duke this year by contributing to these ends.

Honorable mention: Tricia Liston has been on fire since the season began, scoring 13 and 22 points against Marquette and Xavier respectively. She has shot 53.8 percent from beyond the arc this week, scoring the majority of her points off 3-pointers. Especially with Haley Peters not in the lineup due to injury, Liston has played an important role in stretching the floor for Duke and will need to continue to do so for the rest of the season.