Hey, so NC State’s women’s basketball team? They’ve got a pretty good record at 11-5, which is awesome. But man, they are really struggling from deep, and it’s kind of a head-scratcher. They’re only hitting 29.4% of their three-pointers across all games (last year’s team shot .33% for the entire season). That means they’re making about 5.8 threes per game, which isn’t a lot when the opposing teams are sinking more. In the Clemson game, NC State was 4-19 from beyond the arc while Clemson was 8-24.
And get this – when you look at the leaders in the ACC, NC State is really lagging behind. Notre Dame are draining them at 36.1% (overall), Louisville at 35.7%, and even North Carolina is at 35.3%. That’s a pretty big difference, like 5-7 percentage points! It means defenses can just hang out in the paint against NC State, making it super hard for them to score inside. The Pack has to be more completive beyond the arc if they are going to compete for an ACC title this season.
Adding to the frustration, after their recent loss to Clemson, Coach Wes Moore didn’t mince words about the shooting woes when asked about the lack of 3 point offense. He told InsidePackSports.com:
“I don’t know what to tell you. We were four for 19 from three. And obviously, you miss Zam some in that area. But, I don’t know. We’ve got some players that every day in practice and shoot arounds, they’re knocking them down. And then we get in the game. We just hadn’t been able to get them to go down like we need to.”
He’s right, missing Zam Jones, who’s usually a big-time playmaker and is hitting 34.1% from three (overall), definitely doesn’t help. Her ankle injury and being out means one of their better outside shooters is sidelined, making it even tougher to find that offensive rhythm.
To break it down even further, here’s how everyone’s doing individually from downtown:
NC State Individual 3-Point Shooting: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not (by Overall 3FG%)
| Player | 3FG-3FGA | 3FG% |
|---|---|---|
| LUNAN, Destiny | 14-29 | .483 |
| COX, Maddie | 9-24 | .375 |
| JONES, Zamareya | 29-85 | .341 |
| TRYGGER, Tilda | 10-35 | .286 |
| PIERRE, Khamil | 1-4 | .250 |
| SAMUELS, Qadence | 14-58 | .241 |
| QUIGLEY, Devyn | 8-34 | .235 |
| JERNIGAN, Adelaide | 3-16 | .188 |
| BROOKS, Zoe | 5-31 | .161 |
| COLLIER, MALLORY | 0-0 | .000 |
You can see Destiny Lunan is doing fantastic on her shots, and Maddie Cox and Zam Jones are solid contributors. But honestly, a lot of the team is shooting under 25%, especially the other guards.
Looking at that table, it raises a big question: if Destiny Lunan is hitting nearly half her threes at 48.3%, has she earned more playing time, especially when the Pack is desperately looking for consistent three-point help? It’s definitely something to consider!
So, what’s the deal? NC State really needs a glue player. Last year, that role was filled by Madison Hayes, who hit 38 three-pointers at a solid 41% rate. Before her, there was Kai Crutchfield, who made 40 threes on 90 attempts (44%) in her senior season. Looking at this year’s roster, it seems like there’s no one who has stepped up like they did. Both Madison and Kai could nail a huge three when the team desperately needed it, but I don’t see anyone stepping into that role to date. Zam Jones is more of a leader like Aziaha James, the young gun, but who’s going to calm the seas when she’s having an off night or sidelined with an injury? After the Clemson game, that question is still hanging out there. It’s understandable that Coach Moore is frustrated; he sees the potential in practice, but it just isn’t showing up in games for some reason.
PackWBB.com 
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