The NC State women’s basketball team’s season ended with a record of 26-9 after its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2007, losing to Mississippi State 71-57 Friday.
The Pack came into the year with low expectations and likely looking at a rebuild season, after losing four senior starters from last season. After four ACC games, the Pack was 12-5 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, including two losses at home, the only two losses the Wolfpack would suffer at Reynolds Coliseum all season.
Sitting at 1-3 in the ACC, NC State won seven conference games in a row, the longest winning streak since the 2000-01 season. The streak was highlighted by a 65-56 win over No. 10 Florida State at Reynolds Coliseum. After the streak was snapped by a four-point loss at Miami, the Wolfpack won three more games in a row, including a 73-54 over rival UNC-Chapel Hill.
The regular season concluded with a 22-7 record, and 11-5 in the ACC. The Pack clinched the fifth seed in the ACC Tournament. NC State defeated UNC for the third time of the season, 77-64, in the first round.
The Wolfpack returned the next day and exacted revenge on Duke. After losing 69-56 at the beginning of January in Durham, the Pack defeated the Blue Devils 51-45 in Greensboro at the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack lost in the semifinals of the tournament to No. 1 seed Louisville 64-59.
Likely because of its win over Duke in the tournament, the Pack was selected as a four seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosted the first and second rounds at Reynolds Coliseum for the first time since 2007. The Wolfpack dominated 13-seed Elon 62-35 in the first round to advance to face five-seed Maryland.
NC State defeated the Terrapins 74-60 to advance to face Mississippi State in the Sweet 16. The Pack hung around with the top-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs into the third quarter, but didn’t have enough to beat the defending national runner-ups, who had lost once all season. The season came to an end with a 71-57 loss.
Senior center Akela Maize had a breakout season, averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on the season. She was named to the All-ACC defensive team. Senior forward Chelsea Nelson was the only returning starter and had a massive final season in Raleigh, averaging 12.9 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Nelson collected 10 double-doubles on the season and set the ACC tournament record with 22 rebounds in a single game, which came against Duke. Twenty-two rebounds is the second-highest single-game performance in school history.
Redshirt junior guard Kiara Leslie transferred from Maryland and added an experienced, well-rounded scorer and defender to the Wolfpack lineup. She was second on the team with 12.7 points per game and 5.9 rebounds.
Leslie had a double-double against her former team in the NCAA tournament, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. She then set her career-high with 27 points against Mississippi State.
Sophomore guard Aislinn Konig was the fourth player to average double-figure scoring for the Pack this season, with 10.3 points. She shot 34 percent from behind the 3-point line and set the program record with 91 made 3-pointers for the season.
Redshirt sophomore guard Kaila Ealey may have had the most difficult job coming into the season, replacing Miah Spencer. Ealey did a phenomenal job, starting all 35 games and averaging over 33 minutes per game. She averaged 8.9 points and led the team with 4.2 assists per game.
Defensive identity was a huge part of the team’s success this season. The Pack allowed 57.2 points per game this season, third in the ACC. NC State also out-rebounded opponents by 9.5 rebounds per game, good for second in the ACC.
Head coach Wes Moore has taken the program to heights that haven’t been seen in over 10 years. He will look to take the team even further next year with the return of Ealey, Konig and Leslie.
