The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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66 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Leslie proved to be a critical factor in NC State's success. Moving into the starting lineup nine games into the season, the Holly Spring, N.C. native finished as the team's second- leading scorer (12.7 points per game) and was its top scorer in its three NCAA Tour- nament games, capped by a career-high 27 points in the Pack's regional semifinal loss to two-time national runners-up Mississippi State. She also was the team's second-leading rebounder (5.9 boards per game) and its best free throw shooter (78 of 109, 71.6 percent). Leslie's 35 steals and 26 blocked shots also attested to her defensive ability, which made her the Pack's No. 1 stopper against oppo- nents' best offensive threat. Most Improved Player Senior post Akela Maize entered her first full year as a starter with modest averages of 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 53 total appearances her first three seasons. But the 6-5 Greensboro, N.C. native turned a strenuous offseason of prepara- tion into a stunning success, averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds while playing in a career-high 35 games. Her 68 blocked shots this season are second all time to Genia Beasley's 73 in 1978-79, and her 93 career blocks are 11th all time. Best Shooter Maize, who at one point early on was hitting almost 60 percent of her shots, per- fected enough post moves and quick turn- around jumpers to make 130 of her 249 attempts for a 52.2-percent clip. That's the third-best accuracy from the post since Markeisha Gatling's nation-lead- ing 66.3 percent in 2013-14 and teammate Chelsea Nelson's 56.7 percent (136 of 240) mark from last year. Best Streak NC State's seven-game winning streak in the ACC from Jan. 10 (a 56-43 win over Georgia Tech) to Feb. 4 (72-54 victory over Boston College) was its longest since the 2000-01 season, and the eighth longest win streak in program history. The 1984-85 Pack hold the record for longest overall win streak at 15 games. ■ Unlike last season — when NC State women's basketball coach Wes Moore was faced with the prospect of having to replace four of his five starters, including his en- tire starting perimeter lineup and top two scorers — next year's team will require fill- ing just two positions, though one is, once again, the team's top scorer. Forward Chelsea Nelson led NC State in scoring and rebounding in her senior season, averaging 12.9 points and 9.4 re- bounds in her second full year as a starter. Center Akela Maize, the squad's only other senior, contributed 10.0 points and 5.5 boards per game, and was one of the Pack's most effective shot blockers (68 in 2017-18) in recent memory. NC State's perimeter has both experience and depth, with rising junior Aislinn Konig and rising redshirt junior Kaila Ealy return - ing at the point and shooting guard spots, wing Kiara Leslie back for one more year, and rising fifth-year senior Armani Hawkins and rising sophomore Kai Crutchfield likely coming off the bench again. Grace Hunter, who sat out her redshirt sophomore season after transferring from Charlotte, will also be available next year. Inside, rising senior DD Rogers and rising junior Erika Cassell, who both played in 32 of the Pack's 35 games, will be counted on to step up their scoring and rebound - ing averages (they combined to average 5.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season). Nae Nae Cole is another option in her final year after three years of spot duty. Kayla Jones saw limited action in 15 appear- ances as a freshman this season. All three of NC State's 2018-19 signees are frontcourt players. Elissa Cunane, a 6-5 native of Summerfield, N.C., was ranked as the No. 5 post and No. 21 overall player nationally by Prospects Nation. The four-star prospect averaged 20.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this past season for Northern Guilford High School, which won the state 3A championship with a 28-4 record. "She plays harder than any 6-5 kid I've ever seen," Pack head coach Wes Moore said. "With the loss of Chelsea and Akela, she is someone who can help us on the block and give us presence inside, but she has also worked very hard on expanding her game. "I trust her in the trail spot to knock down the three and be able to attack off the bounce." "She is a versatile player who can han - dle the ball, make plays on the perimeter, shoot it from distance and score around the rim," said Keil Moore, a national re- cruiting analyst for Prospects Nation. "She'll be tough to match up with." Jada Rice, from Suwanee, Ga., starred in the post for Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. The 6-4 Rice was rated No. 12 at her position and No. 57 overall na - tionally by Prospects Nation. "She has earned a reputation as one of the most talented posts in the country," Keil Moore said. "She has size, athleticism and a high basketball IQ." Rice averaged 6.9 points and 7.2 re - bounds for a 23-win Collins Hill team this past year. "She is going to be able to run the floor and score on the block," Wes Moore said, "and I think we are going to be able to expand her game as we go." Cunane and Rice both signed with NC State in November. In April, Moore added a third member to the Pack's inside group with the signing of 6-2 New Zealand na - tive Esra McGoldrick, who is rated the No. 11 international prospect by Prospects Nation. "She's a very versatile player and a very versatile scorer," the Pack head coach noted. "She's comfortable taking off with a rebound and going the length of the court, and she's capable of knocking down the three. "She handles the ball and sees the floor well, and yet can take a smaller defender down on the block and is comfortable scoring there as well. She's an inside/outside player who can do a lot of things." In addition to the two players lost to graduation, Moore will also have to replace a member of his coaching staff for the first time since arriving in Raleigh in 2013. Five- year assistant coach Gene Hill, the Pack's recruiting coordinator and primary coach of the team's guards, was named the head coach at Georgia State in April. — Brian Rapp Wing Kiara Leslie — the top scorer in NC State's three NCAA Tourna- ment games, capped by a career-high 27 points in the Pack's Sweet 16 loss versus eventual national runner-up Mississippi State — will help lead the way for the Wolfpack as a fifth-year senior in 2018-19. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Replacing Inside Strength Is The Top Chore For 2018-19