The No. 9 NC State women’s basketball team is undefeated and laying waste to its opponents so far this season. With a 3-0 conference record and a top-10 win over then-No. 9 Maryland, the Wolfpack is entering ACC play with a strong NCAA Tournament resume and as a favorite to win the ACC. Here are some takeaways from the Wolfpack’s games during winter break and as its conference schedule ramps up.
Bench depth isn’t where it needs to be yet
Going into the season, NC State boasted, on paper, a talented roster that could go as deep as nine players, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet this season, as a number of players are still working their way back from injuries. With senior center Erika Cassell, redshirt senior guard Grace Hunter and graduate guard Kaila Ealey all roughly a year removed from season-ending knee injuries, head coach Wes Moore has had to stick with his starters for extended minutes during close games.
In a come-from-behind 76-69 win over Virginia Tech on Jan. 2, Moore went to his bench just one time in the second half, giving Ealey seven minutes. The starting five played the entire third quarter, as Moore doesn’t yet like what he sees from his reserves during important minutes. Hunter leads the reserves with 18.1 minutes per game but has seen that number drastically decline as of late, playing just 10.7 minutes per game in ACC play. No reserve is seeing more than 12 minutes per game in ACC games, and Ealey (12) and freshman forward Jada Boyd (12) are the only others averaging at least seven minutes per game. NC State’s lack of depth was its Achilles’ heel in its Sweet 16 loss to Iowa last year, and if doesn’t want a repeat, it’s going to need its reserves to step up.
Cunane hitting her stride into ACC play
Sophomore center Elissa Cunane wasn’t given a heavy workload during the first month of the season, as Moore chose to rest her in the Pack’s many blowout victories. As the nonconference schedule got more difficult, though, and ACC play started, Moore has fully unleashed Cunane, a bad sign for the conference.
Over her last eight games, the 6-foot-5 Cunane is averaging 21.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while shooting an incredibly efficient 66% from the field and 74% from the free throw line, including a 27-for-29 clip at the charity stripe in ACC play. Cunane is up to eight double-doubles on the season and has already begun wrecking ACC opponents. With two games against rival North Carolina and a top-10 showdown with No. 7 Louisville on the horizon, Cunane is hitting the ground running as the Pack’s schedule beefs up.
Konig’s shooting slump in the rearview mirror
The first few weeks of the season weren’t easy for Aislinn Konig. The senior guard couldn’t find her shot in the weeks before Thanksgiving, shooting just 23% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. But something clicked for her during the Wolfpack’s Thanksgiving break trip to Hawaii. Since then, Konig is shooting 41% from the field and knocking down 37% of her triples. Highlighted by an 18-point, 4-for-7 3-point game against Virginia Tech, Konig is leading NC State’s offense on a nightly basis and has found the shooting stroke that has helped her knock down the second-most 3-pointers in program history.
Shared playmaking paying dividends
With Konig, junior Kai Crutchfield and freshman Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State trots out a guard-heavy starting lineup. Throw in versatile junior forward Kayla Jones, and the Wolfpack has four players who can all handle their fair share of playmaking duties. That versatility in the starting lineup has been fruitful, as the Pack is assisting on over 56% of its buckets and has three players averaging multiple assists per game. As Konig still adjusts to being the primary point guard, NC State’s ability to share ball-handling duties and have three or four players on the court at all times who can create for others should ensure its offense never goes stagnant regardless of who is on the court.
