Despite losing Kiara Leslie to the WNBA draft and DD Rogers and Armani Hawkins to graduation, the NC State women’s basketball team is bringing in its best recorded recruiting class. The team is bringing in freshmen wing Jakia Brown-Turner, center Camille Hobby, forwards Jada Boyd and Elle Sutphin, and guard Kendal Moore. Here’s a look at how the team stacks up this season in a talented ACC class that includes powerhouse Louisville.
NC State:
While bringing in such a talented freshman class, the team is also bringing back veterans to the team. This includes players who played a significant role on last season’s impressive team, such as senior guard Aislinn Konig, breakout sophomore center Elissa Cunane and junior guard Kai Crutchfield. On top of this, the team is getting back healthy players, who are expected to play major roles for this team such as graduate guard Kaila Ealey and redshirt senior guard Grace Hunter.
“We have unbounded potential,” Konig said. “We have a really great class of talented freshmen who just came in, and fortunately, we have a strong class of returners. We did lose great players, Kiara Leslie, DD Rogers and Armani Hawkins, but we have a really great corps that is coming back, and I think we will be able to capitalize on that.”
It will be hard to build on a season that saw the team only drop six games, but the confidence oozing from the players has them prepared for the season.
“We have so much potential,” Konig said. “I know everybody is really hungry, and we want to get over that Sweet 16 hump. I think we have a really good vision, and we know exactly what we need to do, and that’s just a matter of putting the plans into action.”
UNC-Chapel Hill:
The team that handed the Wolfpack its first loss of the season last year is projected to finish ninth in the ACC this season. The team lost longtime guard and fan-favorite Paris Kea to the WNBA draft, where she was selected 25th overall by the Indiana Fever.
Despite this, the team is bringing back center Janelle Bailey, who was selected second team All-ACC as a sophomore last season, and the 2018 ACC Freshman of the Year. Bailey is currently on the Lisa Leslie Award preseason watch list, for best center in the country, averaging 16.7 points per game last season. While the Pack certainly looks to be a better all-around team than UNC, the battles Cunane will have with Bailey will be one to look for.
“All teams in the ACC [have] great defenders and even now doubling,” Cunane said. “But we have great guards on the perimeter, so they can’t double me too much because they’re gonna knock down shots.”
Notre Dame:
Last season, Notre Dame was a powerhouse behind guard Arike Ogunbowale, now on the Dallas Wings of the WNBA, and Jackie Young, the first overall pick in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Las Vegas Aces. This year, things are quite different for the reigning NCAA Championship runner-ups, as they are predicted to finish fourth in the ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel and fifth by head coaches.
Last year, the Wolfpack lost to Notre Dame at home in a blowout but gets a chance at redemption when the Pack travels to South Bend, Indiana, this winter.
“Notre Dame is a great team,” Konig said. “Overall, we want to bring our best games, so I don’t think [playing on the road] it’s going to change how we prepare, more so how we need to be on the ball for every game this season.”
Louisville:
NC State had a hard time dealing with Louisville last season, losing in the regular season by 30 points and then losing once more in the ACC Tournament semifinals by 10 points.
Louisville is the top-ranked team in the ACC, with NC State ranked second in both polls, by a wide margin. While the Pack did not get a chance to take on Louisville in Reynolds last season, the team will get a shot at it this year on Feb. 13.
“Reynolds is a great environment,” Cunane said. “Anytime we get to play on our home court, we have a good record of defending it, so I think it will give us a real advantage.”
Two players to watch for on Louisville are sophomore transfers from Georgia Tech, guard Elizabeth Balogun and forward Elizabeth Dixon. Balogun was the 2018-19 ACC Freshman of the Year and started all 30 games last season for Georgia Tech, while averaging 14.6 points per game, which led all ACC freshmen. Meanwhile, Dixon was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and led all ACC freshmen in rebounding with 6.4 per game.
Florida State:
Like Louisville, NC State will get a shot at the Seminoles, who are predicted to finish right behind the Wolfpack, in Reynolds Coliseum, after dropping the ball against them on the road last season. Unlike Louisville, NC State did not make the same mistake twice and defeated the ‘Noles in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, 69-62, before falling to Louisville.
“It’s always an advantage to play in Reynolds,” Konig said. “We have such a wonderful crowd, and the atmosphere is awesome, and we have a pretty good record at home, so it’s a pretty good feeling to bring those games here.”
Florida State is bringing back its leading scorer from last season, forward Kiah Gillespie, who led the team with 16.2 points per game. The team is also bringing back Nausia Woolfolk, who recorded 78 total assists last year, ranking second on last year’s team.
Outlook:
Losing veterans from last year hurts, but bringing in such a talented recruiting class with solid veteran leaders helps the Wolfpack stay in the upper echelon of the ACC this season.
“Most of the freshmen are taking a sip of water out of a firehose; they are getting blown away right now,” head coach Wes Moore said. “So it’s a lot of mental stuff. You have to be prepared for a plethora of situations that you could face during the season, and that requires a whole lot of preparation and a whole lot of learning.”
The Wolfpack will begin its season of high expectations when it takes on Anderson in a free exhibition game in Reynolds Coliseum on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
Head coach Wes Moore talks to the team at a time out during the 83-57 win in exhibition over Anderson University on Thursday, Nov. 1 in Reynolds Coliseum.
