The NC State women’s basketball team is being pegged as one of the dark horses to win the ACC this year. Many people are pointing to the seniors as catalysts for this team. With Dominique Wilson and Miah Spencer garnering the bulk of the notoriety, those who don’t know this team well may make the mistake of forgetting the senior sharpshooters Jennifer Mathurin and Ashley Williams.
That term isn’t used lightly when describing these immensely talented women. Mathurin and Williams both shot over 30 percent from beyond the arc last season. Their ability to stretch the floor will be extremely valuable in assisting a young front court develop. Besides their desire to make the tournament, their shooting ability is one of the few things they have in common.
The two’s contrasting playstyles are obvious.
Mathurin
Mathurin is a stretch four who’s a threat to score from in and outside of the paint. While she is a constant threat to put the ball in the basket, her work on the glass may be her best attribute. She led the team with 215 rebounds and in 3-pointers made with 55 last season. Her 116 field goals made last season were also tops among frontcourt players on the team. The Canadian’s ability to crash the boards down low and display a feathery touch from outside was always a staple of her game throughout her pre-NC State career. Those abilities have only been taken to new heights in her time under head coach Wes Moore.
Mathurin averaged 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior in high school, leading her Quebec Provincial team to bronze-medal finishes at the Canadian National Championships twice. In the 2010 Bronze Medal Game, she earned MVP with honors by notching 18 points and 12 rebounds. She also registered the first double-double her freshman year at State in a conference game against Pittsburgh.
Mathurin’s personality is as eye-catching as her statistical feats. She explained a story where she was at fault for one of the team’s turnovers, even though she wasn’t on the court at the time.
“I was on the bench, and I thought DD [Rodgers] was going to shoot, so I got up and was screaming ‘Yeah DD!’ So she passed it to me,” Mathurin said.
Williams
Williams is a little more unassuming at times than Mathurin is, but her play does more than enough talking. She came to State as a walk-on and has the quiet determination typical of most walk-ons. However, her ever-increasing role shows that she has no desire to be or play like an average walk-on.
Her play in high school shows why she had offers from other schools as well. In her senior season, she averaged a little more than 21 points and six assists per game as she guided her team to a 26-3 record.
Williams is a Cary native, and State blood runs deep in her family.
“My mom and dad went here,” Williams said. “I grew up a State fan, so my choice of college was a no-brainer for me.”
Wolfpack nation couldn’t be happier for her to have embraced that legacy. Since the day she arrived on this campus, Williams has worked hard, improved and proved herself worthy of a starting job. Her ability to shoot, handle and pass the ball has made her a vital asset to the team.
Williams finished with the highest 3-point shooting percentage on the team last year and was second in assist-turnover ratio. Her sophomore year, she put up a career high in points with 21 against Wake Forest. That same season she was named NC State’s co-Sixth Man of the Year alongside Chelsea Nelson.
Off the court, Williams works as hard as she does on as she was named the 2016 ACC Kay Yow Scholar Athlete of the Year and All-ACC Academic Team honoree. She also holds an extremely impressive 3.92 career GPA in industrial engineering and is a perfect 5-for-5 in earning Dean’s List honors.
Mathurin and Williams are two of the best players on one of the best teams in the ACC. They both have the potential to leave a lasting impact on the women’s basketball program. This pair of extremely talented women is expected to bring great success to the team. And with their constantly increasing efficiency, they should be.
Junior forward Jennifer Mathurin splits two Wildcat defenders versus the Villanova Wildcats on Nov. 13, 2015 at PNC Arena.
