Azura Stevens
The statline:
Sunday vs. Syracuse: 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, three assists, one block, four turnovers
Thursday vs. Wake Forest: 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and three turnovers
Sunday vs Louisville: 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds, two assists and four turnovers
The good: Stevens has had yet another phenomenal week for the Blue Devils. In the team’s blowout loss to Syracuse, the forward was one of the most efficient players on the team, recording a double-double and leading the team in scoring. She responded well to her team’s struggles and helped the squad bounce back with a great game against the Demon Deacons, once again leading the team in scoring. Although the sophomore struggled to get much going in another road defeat Sunday, Stevens continues to be one of the only consistent producers on a Duke team that has been up and down to say the least so far this season. The sophomore has made a great impact defensively as well, recording two blocks and two steals against the Orange and three blocks and a steal against Wake Forest.
The bad: Stevens has struggled to protect the ball lately—a problem that has plagued the entire team. The 6-foot-6 forward turned it over three times against Syracuse, and followed up that game with four turnovers against the Demon Deacons and Louisville. The Raleigh, N.C., native needs to protect the ball more to prevent easy transition buckets and fast break opportunities for opposing teams. With ACC play continuing, if Stevens and the Blue Devils continue to be sloppy with the ball, the team will struggle.
The bottom line: Stevens is the focal point of this talented Duke squad looking to make a deep run in the postseason. When she is playing well, she makes her teammates better, and the Blue Devil offense is tough to stop. Her impact on defense cannot go unnoticed as well, as she is one of the best defenders on the roster. Unfortunately, Duke has continued to struggle with turnovers and seems incapable of winning tough road games with their inexperienced roster.
Honorable mention: Angela Salvadores had a good week for Duke, scoring nine points on 4-of-7 shooting against Syracuse and scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 shooting from three, against Wake Forest. But the guard has struggled to take care of the ball. Against the Demon Deacons, Salvadores committed six turnovers and things didn't get much better Sunday as she had seven turnovers against the Cardinals. Salvadores also struggles to make an impact defensively—only recording five steals and two defensive rebounds for the week. In order to make a deep run, Salvadores needs to step up, whether starting or as one of the first players off the bench.
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