Grade: A-
The NC State women’s basketball team put together an impressive season this year, but came up short in the NCAA Tournament. Ranked No. 17 in the nation at the end of the season, the Wolfpack women defied early expectations. An exciting 23-9 season included wins over rivals UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and Wake Forest.
The team managed to defeat four top-15 teams this season, and the Pack’s 12 ACC wins are the most in nearly two decades for NC State. Head coach Wes Moore was honored as the ACC Coach of the Year, and seniors Miah Spencer, Dominique Wilson, Jennifer Mathurin and Ashley Williams received honors from the ACC.
Spencer became the first player in the history of Wolfpack women’s basketball to score more than 1,500 points and have over 400 assists, and was recently picked up by the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Although the regular season was historic, early success did not transfer into the postseason. The team was eliminated in the first round of the ACC tournament by Louisville, 59-58.
The Pack received a lower seed than deserved in the NCAA Tournament, and was forced onto a much rougher path than it may have expected. Hopes were high as the team demolished Auburn in the first round, 62-48.
In what many considered the best game of the tournament as a whole, NC State took on Texas. The teams battled into the final minute, as both teams’ players laid it all on the line. Controversial rulings by the referees helped propel Texas to victory by a mere 4 points in the closing seconds, 84-80, sending the Wolfpack home to Raleigh.
The NC State women’s basketball team was very impressive this regular season, yet fell short when the tournaments came around. For this, they receive an A- on the season.
