Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus South Dakota State on December 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.
/
7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs South Dakota State
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Taylor Crowned ACC Defensive Player of the Year
2/28/2023 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Duke senior Celeste Taylor has been crowned the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning nods to the All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team, the league announced Tuesday evening as the conference's postseason awards were unveiled during the ACC Network's ACC PM show.
Taylor becomes the fifth Blue Devil (nine honors) to earn ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Lindsey Harding (2006, '07), Chante Black (2008), Elizabeth Williams (2012-15) and Lexie Brown. Her nod to the all-conference first team and all-defensive team gives Duke 37 All-ACC First Team selections and 26 ACC All-Defense Team accolades, respectively.
An instrumental part in helping the Duke women's basketball team boast one of the nation's top defenses throughout the season, Taylor leads the squad in total steals (58) and steals per game (2.0) – both marks that check in at fifth in the ACC. The Blue Devils are currently ranked third in the NCAA in scoring defense (50.9) and seventh in field goal percentage defense (34.8). Duke has held each of its opponents below its season scoring average, including 15 foes to 50 points or less.
Taylor, a Naismith Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist, has tallied two-plus steals in 16 games this season, including eight games with three or more thefts and three games with at least five takeaways. The Valley Stream, N.Y., product is seventh nationally in defensive win shares with an average of 3.5 per 40 minutes while her player defensive rating of 73.0 is good for 32nd in the country out of 3,469 players.
Along with Taylor, the ACC All-Defensive Team includes Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse), Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech), Mykasa Robinson (Louisville) and Makayla Timpson (Florida State).
On the offensive end, Taylor has been the team's leading scorer throughout the season with an average of 11.8 points, pairing that with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The engine that makes the Blue Devils go, Taylor has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including two games of 20-plus points. She also joined the ranks of Chelsea Gray (3X), Haley Gorecki (4X), and Lexie Brown (4X) as the only Duke women's basketball players since 2009-2010 to post multiple career games of 15+ Points, 5+ Rebounds, 4+ Assists, and 4+ Steals, according to HerHoopStats.
Notre Dame's Niele Ivey was voted the ACC Coach of the Year, while Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley was tabbed ACC Player of the Year and Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson garnered ACC Freshman of the Year honors. Florida State's Makayla Timpson was named Most Improved Player and NC State's Saniya Rivers took home Sixth Player of the Year.
Voting for the league's annual postseason awards was done by the ACC's head coaches and a panel of media that cover the conference.
Having earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament, Duke takes the court Friday, March 3 at 6 p.m., live on ACC Network, facing the winner of Thursday's second-round game between North Carolina and the winner between 10-seed Clemson and 15-seed Pitt.
2022-23 ACC Award Winners
Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Defensive Player of the Year: Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Rookie of the Year: Ta'Niya Latson, G, Florida State
Coach of the Year: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
Sixth Player of the Year: Saniya Rivers, So., G, NC State
Most Improved Player: Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
All-ACC First Team
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Olivia Miles, So., G, Notre Dame
Ta'Niya Latson, Fr., G, Florida State
Hailey Van Lith, Jr., G, Louisville
Georgia Amoore, Jr., G, Virginia Tech
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
Deja Kelly, Jr., G, North Carolina
Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Sonia Citron, So., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Ustby, Jr., G, North Carolina
All-ACC Second Team
Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
Jewel Spear, Jr., G, Wake Forest
Diamond Johnson, So., G, NC State
Haley Cavinder, Sr., G, Miami
Destiny Harden, Gr., F, Miami
Amari Robinson, Sr., F, Clemson
Camryn Taylor, Jr., G, Virginia
Maddy Westbeld, Jr., F, Notre Dame
Kennedy Todd-Williams, Jr., G, North Carolina
Taylor Soule, Gr., F, Virginia Tech
All-Defensive Team
Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Mykasa Robinson, Gr., G, Louisville
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
All-Freshman Team
Ta'Niya Latson, G, Florida State
Taina Mair, G, Boston College
Tonie Morgan, G, Georgia Tech
Ruby Whitehorn, G, Clemson
KK Bransford, G, Notre Dame
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
#GoDuke
Taylor becomes the fifth Blue Devil (nine honors) to earn ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Lindsey Harding (2006, '07), Chante Black (2008), Elizabeth Williams (2012-15) and Lexie Brown. Her nod to the all-conference first team and all-defensive team gives Duke 37 All-ACC First Team selections and 26 ACC All-Defense Team accolades, respectively.
An instrumental part in helping the Duke women's basketball team boast one of the nation's top defenses throughout the season, Taylor leads the squad in total steals (58) and steals per game (2.0) – both marks that check in at fifth in the ACC. The Blue Devils are currently ranked third in the NCAA in scoring defense (50.9) and seventh in field goal percentage defense (34.8). Duke has held each of its opponents below its season scoring average, including 15 foes to 50 points or less.
Taylor, a Naismith Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist, has tallied two-plus steals in 16 games this season, including eight games with three or more thefts and three games with at least five takeaways. The Valley Stream, N.Y., product is seventh nationally in defensive win shares with an average of 3.5 per 40 minutes while her player defensive rating of 73.0 is good for 32nd in the country out of 3,469 players.
Along with Taylor, the ACC All-Defensive Team includes Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse), Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech), Mykasa Robinson (Louisville) and Makayla Timpson (Florida State).
On the offensive end, Taylor has been the team's leading scorer throughout the season with an average of 11.8 points, pairing that with 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The engine that makes the Blue Devils go, Taylor has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including two games of 20-plus points. She also joined the ranks of Chelsea Gray (3X), Haley Gorecki (4X), and Lexie Brown (4X) as the only Duke women's basketball players since 2009-2010 to post multiple career games of 15+ Points, 5+ Rebounds, 4+ Assists, and 4+ Steals, according to HerHoopStats.
Notre Dame's Niele Ivey was voted the ACC Coach of the Year, while Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley was tabbed ACC Player of the Year and Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson garnered ACC Freshman of the Year honors. Florida State's Makayla Timpson was named Most Improved Player and NC State's Saniya Rivers took home Sixth Player of the Year.
Voting for the league's annual postseason awards was done by the ACC's head coaches and a panel of media that cover the conference.
Having earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament, Duke takes the court Friday, March 3 at 6 p.m., live on ACC Network, facing the winner of Thursday's second-round game between North Carolina and the winner between 10-seed Clemson and 15-seed Pitt.
2022-23 ACC Award Winners
Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Defensive Player of the Year: Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Rookie of the Year: Ta'Niya Latson, G, Florida State
Coach of the Year: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
Sixth Player of the Year: Saniya Rivers, So., G, NC State
Most Improved Player: Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
All-ACC First Team
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Olivia Miles, So., G, Notre Dame
Ta'Niya Latson, Fr., G, Florida State
Hailey Van Lith, Jr., G, Louisville
Georgia Amoore, Jr., G, Virginia Tech
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
Deja Kelly, Jr., G, North Carolina
Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Sonia Citron, So., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Ustby, Jr., G, North Carolina
All-ACC Second Team
Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
Jewel Spear, Jr., G, Wake Forest
Diamond Johnson, So., G, NC State
Haley Cavinder, Sr., G, Miami
Destiny Harden, Gr., F, Miami
Amari Robinson, Sr., F, Clemson
Camryn Taylor, Jr., G, Virginia
Maddy Westbeld, Jr., F, Notre Dame
Kennedy Todd-Williams, Jr., G, North Carolina
Taylor Soule, Gr., F, Virginia Tech
All-Defensive Team
Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke
Mykasa Robinson, Gr., G, Louisville
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Makayla Timpson, So., F, Florida State
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
All-Freshman Team
Ta'Niya Latson, G, Florida State
Taina Mair, G, Boston College
Tonie Morgan, G, Georgia Tech
Ruby Whitehorn, G, Clemson
KK Bransford, G, Notre Dame
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballKara Lawson on Bella Flemings
Monday, November 17
Kara Lawson on Taylor Sofilkanich
Sunday, November 16
Kara Lawson on Sanai Green
Thursday, November 13
Kara Lawson on Autumn Fleary
Wednesday, November 12
