The No. 3 NC State women’s basketball team played in its last regular-season game in Reynolds Coliseum over the weekend, finishing the year with just two losses at home to 15 wins. With the ACC Tournament just a week away, it’s time to check the temperature of the roster and look at some recent trends with the team.

Jakia Brown-Turner continuing dominant streak

I wrote a month ago that junior wing Jakia Brown-Turner had completely flipped her fortunes. In her first 17 games of the season, Brown-Turner was averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting 38.1% from the floor and 34.4% from deep. In just two games, Brown-Turner flipped those stats on their head. But her good fortunes most certainly didn’t stop there.

Brown-Turner’s averages are now up to 9.6 points on 44.6% shooting from the floor and 37.5% from 3. In her last 10 games, Brown-Turner is averaging 12 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals on a 55.3% field-goal percentage (47 for 85) and 43.8% from deep (14 of 32).

During that stretch of time, Brown-Turner has played two of the best games of her career, one at Duke and then against Syracuse. In the game against Duke, Brown-Turner had her season high in points with 19 while hitting 9 of 11 shots and rejecting three shots. In the Syracuse game, Brown-Turner nearly had a triple-double through just one quarter.

Brown-Turner is the key to much of what the Wolfpack does. She’s a great source of offensive as a shooter and playmaker and is one of the Pack’s best defenders.

Diamond Johnson’s inconsistency

While Brown-Turner is one source of the Pack’s offense, sophomore guard Diamond Johnson is an equally important one. After shooting a 50/40/90 split at Rutgers last season, Johnson’s shooting numbers are down to just a 41.2/36.4/81.5 split. While Johnson’s 36.4% 3-point clip is nothing to sneeze at, those numbers are still down from what they were earlier this season.

Despite being the team’s second-leading scorer, Johnson has only scored in double figures in six times since the new year despite the team playing in 14 contests during that time frame. Conversely, Johnson only scored under 10 points five times before the new year, also in 14 games. One of those double-digit scoring games after the new year was still a poor performance, as Johnson scored 16 points against No. 14 Notre Dame but shot 6 of 23 from the floor and a poor 1 for 10 from deep.

Johnson’s playing time has also been in flux. After her 30-minute game against Notre Dame, Johnson played just 14 minutes against Florida State. Johnson scored 22 points in 35 minutes against Boston College but then played just 12 minutes at Duke.

The fact of the matter is that the Wolfpack is better when its second-leading scorer is on fire. But Johnson’s inconsistency is noticeable, and it will be interesting to see what her minutes look like when head coach Wes Moore tightens up the rotation even further heading into the postseason.

Wolfpack’s future rotation

During NC State’s shellacking over Syracuse in the team’s final regular-season home game, the Wolfpack got a good look at its future in the fourth quarter. Players like freshman guard Aziaha James and sophomore guard Madison Hayes got plenty of run and showed off some of what we already knew: NC State’s bench is good enough to start or play significant minutes for most of the rest of the ACC.

Next year, the Pack will be without senior center Elissa Cunane, graduate guards Kai Crutchfield and Raina Perez, as well as graduate forward Kayla Jones, who will all graduate after being significant members of the Wolfpack rotation. All four are also starters, which leads to questions about what the Wolfpack rotation will look like.

While that can’t be answered just yet, it’s safe to say the future of the team is safe, and that’s without even accounting for likely entering transfers, much like Johnson, Perez and Hayes were.

As of now, the starting lineup could look something like James, Johnson, Brown-Turner, junior forward Jada Boyd and junior center Camille Hobby. From there, Moore would have Hayes, freshman guard Jessica Timmons, sophomore guard Genesis Bryant and freshman center Sophie Hart for his bench unit.

Again, it’s unlikely that this is how Moore’s roster will ultimately turn out. Players around the country will be looking to transfer into the program, especially pending how this year’s team performs. Additionally, that projected lineup lacks forward depth and would need Hayes to play up a position.

Regardless, rest assured that the future of the Wolfpack is in safe hands even if the roster stands pat.