The ACC has historically been a strong conference for women's college basketball and this season is no different.
Not only are they home to the nation's No. 1 team, Notre Dame, but they have four other nationally ranked teams and three more receiving votes. As it stands now, nine ACC teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament, so playing well in this conference has been no easy task.
Still, three freshman players are standing out as elite performers on some of the best teams in both this conference and the country.
Dani Carnegie, G, Georgia Tech
Carnegie is a guard from Mount Vernon, New York who has been one of the main catalysts for the 20th-ranked Yellow Jackets. Her 13.5 points per game are good for 18th in the ACC and she is also adding 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Her best performance of the year came in early January against Syracuse when she scored 28 points and added seven rebounds and four assists. This was part of a stretch in which she scored 20+ points in six out of eight games. If she can grow as a passer, she could be one of the best guards in the ACC by next year.
Toby Fournier, F, Duke
Fournier has been a force on both sides of the ball for the Duke Blue Devils this season, who are currently ranked No. 11 in the country. The Toronto, Ontario native is tied for 20th in the league in scoring at 13.4 points per game and also contributes 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, good for eighth in the ACC.
Her best game of the year was a 23-point, 11-rebound performance against then-No. 18 California. She is already an efficient scorer inside the arc, but if she could expand her game beyond the 3-point line a bit more, Fournier could be an absolute force in the ACC for years to come.
Tajianna Roberts, G, Louisville
Roberts has been an incredible asset for the Cardinals all season as both an offensive weapon and a disruptor on defense. The San Diego, California native is tied for 20th in the ACC at 13.4 points per game, tied for 14th with 1.9 steals per game, and also adds 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. Simply put, the young player does a little bit of everything for Louisville, who is currently receiving votes.
She has had several strong performances against the great teams on Louisville's schedule, but perhaps her most impressive was a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double against the nationally ranked Florida State Seminoles last Thursday. If Roberts can be a bit more consistent from beyond the arc, she should be able to fill it up in every game for the rest of her career.