In the middle of June 2026, NC State guard Destiny Ky’She Lunan posted a simple but powerful Instagram reel. Captioned Shooters shoot, the video showed the sophomore draining 16 of 18 three pointers in what appeared to be a focused shooting session. For fans who watched NC State last season, the clip carries extra weight.
In 2025-26, the Wolfpack finished fourth in the ACC regular season, earned a double bye to only lose the quarterfinal game of the ACC Tournament, and exited in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. While the team showed flashes of potential, one recurring issue stood out: inconsistent three point shooting. Too often, the perimeter attack went cold at critical moments, limiting spacing and forcing the offense into tougher shots.
Ky’She Lunan appears determined not to let that weakness define her role moving forward.
Putting in the Work to Earn More
Entering her sophomore season, Lunan is using the offseason to sharpen the skill that could help her carve out a bigger role. The 5’10” point guard from Goodyear, Arizona, arrived at NC State as a four star recruit with a reputation for scoring and playmaking. As a freshman she appeared in 31 games, but her minutes were limited. Now she is putting in the visible and invisible work to change that.
Her recent 16 of 18 shooting session performance is not just content for social media. It is evidence of deliberate, high volume shooting practice designed to build consistency under fatigue and pressure. Lunan’s father and personal trainer has been a constant presence in her development, and her posts often reflect the same message that top performance coaches emphasize: improvement does not happen by accident.
This is exactly the mindset basketball performance coach Alan Stein Jr. has long stressed and heard in the background of the reel:
It is not an equal opportunity. We do not divide the number of shots by 15. Better shooters get to shoot more. So then what do you do if you want to shoot more? You become a better shooter. You have put in the work during the unseen hours to earn the right to take more shots or to get more minutes.
Lunan is living that philosophy. Instead of waiting for playing time to be handed out equally among the roster, she is using the summer to become the kind of shooter who forces coaches to give her more opportunities. In a league where spacing and perimeter shooting are critical, her development directly addresses one of NC States biggest needs from last season.
A Program That Deserves Better and Can Be Better
NC State has higher aspirations than a fourth place ACC finish and a second round NCAA exit. The program has the resources, coaching, and talent to compete for ACC titles and deep NCAA runs. Last seasons results, while respectable, did not reflect the programs ceiling.
Improved three point consistency across the roster would be one of the clearest paths to closing that gap. Lunan’s visible commitment is encouraging, but the real test will be whether her teammates are matching that intensity behind the scenes. Not every player posts their workouts on Instagram, yet the margin between a good team and a great one is often found in those unseen hours.
If more Wolfpack players are putting in similar work, refining their mechanics, building shooting stamina, and attacking their weaknesses, the teams offensive identity could look noticeably different in 2026-27. Ky’She Lunan has made her intentions clear: she wants to be part of the solution.
The Road Ahead
For Lunan personally, the goal is straightforward. She wants to earn a larger role by becoming a more reliable threat from deep. For NC State as a program, her development represents something bigger. A player taking ownership of her improvement rather than hoping the system creates opportunities for her.
Alan Stein Jr’s message applies to individuals and teams alike: you do not get to divide the shots, the minutes, or the success equally. You earn them by getting better.
Ky’She Lunan is showing up and putting in the work. If the rest of the roster is doing the same, even if we do not see every session on social media, NC State could be a much more dangerous team when the 2026 27 season begins.
The shots will not be divided equally. The question is who will have earned the right to take them.
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