NC State Wolfpack Women's Basketball
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team represents
North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
in
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
women's basketball.


History


The early years (1974–1981)

The women's basketball team at NC State had its beginnings in 1974. Under first head coach Robert "Peanut" Doak, North Carolina State won the first game it played 57–45 over the
Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as ''Wahoos'' or ''Hoos'', are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic C ...
on December 7, 1974, en route to an 11–4 final record.
Kay Yow Sandra Kay Yow (March 14, 1942 – January 24, 2009) was an American basketball coach. She was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A List of coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of F ...
, the former head coach of the
Elon Phoenix The Elon Phoenix is the official mascot of Elon University, located in Elon, North Carolina. It is the name that each of the sports teams at the university are referred to. The university is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association and comp ...
, was hired July 1, 1975 as coordinator of women's athletics and women's basketball coach. Coach Yow began her legendary coaching career on December 6, 1975, and recorded her first win with the Wolfpack, a 68–64 triumph over the
College of Charleston Cougars The Charleston Cougars are the varsity intercollegiate athletic teams representing the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division I and are currently members of the Colonial Athletic Association. T ...
, on January 10, 1976. On January 27, 1976, the Wolfpack beat the
North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...
68–58 in the first televised women's basketball game in North Carolina history. In her first season as the head coach, Kay Yow led her squad to the quarterfinals of the 1976
National Women's Invitation Tournament The National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT) was a post-season tournament for women's intercollegiate basketball programs that was contested from 1969 to 1996. The original sponsorship information appears to have been lost over the ensuin ...
. The 1977–78 season was a breakout year for the women's basketball program. On January 12, 1978, the Wolfpack beat the #1
Wayland Baptist Flying Queens Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas ( Southern Baptist Convention). Wayland Baptist has 11 campuses in five Texas cities, s ...
98–86 for its first ever win over a number one ranked team. In addition, the team won the inaugural ACC regular season championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the AIAW Tournament where Wayland Baptist avenged its earlier season loss to the Wolfpack. NC State was ranked third in the final
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
of the 1977–78 season, its highest final ranking in school history. On February 10, 1980, the Wolfpack won its first ACC tournament championship with an 85–75 victory over the
Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
. NC State finished the season undefeated in conference play, capturing the ACC regular season title as well. The Wolfpack advanced to the second round, which was the Sweet 16, of the AIAW Tournament in both 1980 and 1981, foreshadowing the success NC State would later enjoy in the NCAA Tournament.


A legend emerges (1981–2009)

The
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
began sanctioning women's college basketball during the 1981–82 season, and on March 13, 1982, the Wolfpack defeated the
Northwestern Wildcats The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern ...
75–71 in its first NCAA Tournament game. The team won the regular season ACC title for the third time in school history in the 1982–83 season. On November 26, 1983, Kay Yow won her 200th career game with a 60–54 triumph over the
Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
. The 1984–85 season was a very successful season, with the Wolfpack women winning their fourth regular season and second ACC tournament championships. The Wolfpack defeated North Carolina 81–80 on March 3, 1985, to claim the ACC tournament title. NC State won its third ACC tournament title on March 2, 1987, with a 57–56 win over Virginia. On February 18, 1988, Coach Yow defeated the
Wake Forest Demon Deacons The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a mem ...
62–61 to collect her 100th career ACC victory. During the offseason, Yow led the United States Olympic women's basketball team to a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics. NC State won its fifth regular season ACC championship to date in the 1989–90 season. The Wolfpack women set an ACC record for the most points scored in a game on December 8, 1990. NC State defeated the
Western Carolina Catamounts The Western Carolina Catamounts are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the NCAA Division I as members of the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fields 16 varsity sports te ...
137–65 in a record that still stands today. On January 12, 1991, #3 NC State lost a triple-overtime game 123–120 to #2 Virginia. The 243 total points scored is an ACC record. The Wolfpack captured its fourth of five ACC tournament titles to date on March 4, 1991, by beating Clemson 84–61. NC State made its deepest NCAA tournament run in 1998. On March 23, the Wolfpack defeated the
Connecticut Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's fo ...
60–52 to earn a berth in the Final Four. On March 27, North Carolina State took the floor in Kansas City to take on the
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, commonly abbreviated La. Tech and Dawgs, refer to the sports teams of Louisiana Tech University, in Ruston, Louisiana. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports. Since 2013, Louisiana Tech has bee ...
, but the team ultimately fell 84–65. On January 24, 1999, Coach Yow became the second coach to achieve 200 career ACC wins with NC State's 85–60 victory at Wake Forest. NC State retired the first set of women's basketball jerseys in school history on February 13, 2000. Genia Beasley,
Trudi Lacey Trudi Lacey (born December 12, 1958) is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). NC State statistics Source USA Basketball Lacey was named to the team rep ...
, Chasity Melvin, Linda Page,
Andrea Stinson Andrea Stinson (born November 25, 1967) is a retired professional basketball player from the United States, playing from 1998 to 2005 for the Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock. Early life Andrea went to North Mecklenburg High School in Hunt ...
, Trena Trice, and Susan Yow each had her jersey retired. On June 10, 2000, Coach Yow was one of 24 players and coaches inducted into the second class of the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
, and on September 27, 2002, Yow was enshrined into the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
. Nine Wolfpack players, including Genia Beasley, Summer Erb, Trudi Lacey, Rhonda Mapp, Chasity Melvin, Linda Page, Andrea Stinson, Trena Trice and Susan Yow, were named to the ACC's 50th anniversary women's basketball team on September 25, 2002. The nine players were the second most of all ACC schools. Coach Yow recorded her 600th win at NC State on December 2, 2004, with a 65–36 win over the
Seton Hall Pirates The Seton Hall Pirates are the intercollegiate athletic sports teams representing Seton Hall University, located in South Orange, New Jersey. The Pirates compete as a member of the NCAA Division I level (non-football sub-level), primarily compet ...
. On January 22, 2006, Coach Yow coached her 1,000th career game when NC State beat the
Dartmouth Big Green The Dartmouth College Big Green are the varsity and club athletic teams representing Dartmouth College, an American university located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth's teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...
78–43. She was one of only four NCAA Division I basketball coaches to coach 1,000 games. On February 5, 2007, she became just the sixth coach in Division I women's basketball history to win 700 games with a 68–51 victory over the
Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivis ...
. The Reynolds Coliseum floor was renamed "Kay Yow Court" on February 16, 2007. That night, the Wolfpack upset #2 North Carolina 72–65. On March 18, 2007, Yow recorded her 650th win at NC State with an 84–52 defeat of the
Robert Morris Colonials The Robert Morris Colonials are the athletic teams for Robert Morris University, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The Colonials compete in NCAA Division I ( FCS, formerly Division I-AA, in football). In 2020, the school joi ...
. Kay Yow died on January 24, 2009, after a 21-year battle with breast cancer. In her legendary career at NC State, she won almost 700 games, guided her teams to 20 NCAA tournaments, advanced to the Sweet 16 eleven times, and recorded 29 winning seasons.


Kellie Harper era (2009–2013)

On April 16, 2009, former Tennessee Lady Volunteers player and
Western Carolina Catamounts The Western Carolina Catamounts are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the NCAA Division I as members of the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fields 16 varsity sports te ...
head coach
Kellie Harper Kellie Jolly Harper (born May 3, 1977) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Prior to coaching at Tennessee, she served as head coach of Missouri State, NC State, and Weste ...
was named the third head coach in NC State women's basketball history. Lady Volunteers head coach
Pat Summitt Patricia Susan Summitt (; June 14, 1952 – June 28, 2016) was an American women's college basketball head coach who accrued 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coac ...
said, "North Carolina State is getting a young and rising star in the game in Coach Kellie Jolly Harper. I am proud for Kellie. I expect she will do a great job in a very competitive conference – she has what it takes to be successful." Coach Harper picked up her first win as the Wolfpack head coach on November 13, 2009, with an 87–71 win over the Florida International Golden Panthers. Harper was fired on March 25, 2013, after a 4-year record of 70–64.


Wes Moore era (2013–Present)

Wes Moore, head coach at
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT-Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is one of four universities and two other affiliated institutions in the ...
, was named as the fourth head coach in program history on April 4, 2013. Since his hiring, Coach Moore has led a resurgence in Women's Basketball at NC State. In his first season at NC State (2013–14), Moore led the Wolfpack to a 25–8 record, a fourth-place finish in the ACC standings, and an NCAA Tournament appearance. For his efforts, he was named the ESPNW ACC Coach of the Year. After an 18-15 campaign in 2014-15 and a 20–11 season in 2015–16, Moore led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2016–17 with an impressive 23–9 record (12-4 ACC). On March 1, 2017, he earned the official ACC Coach of the Year honor in votes by both the league's Blue Ribbon Panel and head coaches, earning the first such honor in the 43-year history of the NC State women's basketball program. He was also named a Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist after authoring upsets of four top-15 teams throughout the season: No. 2 Notre Dame, at No. 6 Florida State, No. 12 Duke, and at No. 7 Louisville. In 2019 Coach Moore was the runner-up for the AP National Coach of the Year award. His 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 teams make back-to-back trips to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament. His 2019-2020 team won the Wolfpacks first ACC Tournament Championship since 1991 with senior point guard Aislinn Konig being named the tournament MVP. The 2020-2021 team spent the entire regular season ranked inside the top 10, most of which was spent in the top 5, achieving a high rank of #2, matching a school record for highest ranking. On December 3, 2020, the #8 NCSU women beat the #1 ranked South Carolina team in Columbia with a final score of 54–46. The team was ranked #4 when they also beat the #1 ranked Louisville team in Louisville on February 1, 2020, by a score of 74–60. This was the first time a women's college basketball team has beaten a top ranked team twice in a season on the road. The team only experienced 2 losses in the regular season, both of which were away games which were later avenged with home wins. The 2020-2021 team went into the conference tournament as the #2 seed and repeated as ACC Tournament Champions on March 7, 2021, beating the top seeded Louisville Cardinals 58–56. Junior Center
Elissa Cunane Elissa Cunane (; born September 25, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. She played college basketball at NC State. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm in the 2022 WNBA Draft. College career Freshman season Cunane came off the ...
was named the tournament MVP after averaging 23.3 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game for the tournament. In their semifinal game against the #3 seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the team overcame a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter to win by a final score of 66–61. For the 2021 NCAA tournament, the team earned the program's first ever #1 seed.


Current roster


Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with # Source , - style="background:#ffd;" , colspan="8" style="text-align:center;",
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...


Postseason results


NCAA Division I

NC State has appeared in 27 NCAA Tournaments, with a record of 29–27.


AIAW Division I

The Wolfpack made three appearances in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 3–3.


References


External links

* {{Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball navbox