The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1113082
MAY 2019 ■ 59 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL just the fourth NC State player ever to be drafted in the first round. Rookie of the Year Elissa Cunane, the 6-5 freshman from Summerfield, N.C., was supposed to spend this season basically sharing post duties with veteran junior Erika Cassell. All that changed when Cassell went out with a knee injury at Florida State Feb. 7. Having already scored in double figures in 12 previous games, Cunane reached dou- ble-digit points in all but one of the final 11 contests, including a career-best 28 against national runner-up Notre Dame. Her averages of 21.0 points and 7.5 re- bounds per game in the ACC Tournament earned her a berth on the all-tournament team to go along with her selection to the conference's all-rookie squad. She became the first Pack freshman to earn that honor since Marissa Kastanek in 2010. Best Offensive Performance (Team) It wasn't the biggest win by point margin Wes Moore has a problem next season that most coaches would love to have. In addition to getting back three players who were starters prior to suffering season-ending knee inju - ries, he's also added a quartet of incoming freshmen that are ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN and the top-rated class for all 15 ACC programs. Joining the Wolfpack will be a contingent of players that includes the first McDonald's All-American to come to Raleigh since Amber White in 2006. Jakia Brown-Turner, a 6-0 wing from Bishop McNa - mara High School in Maryland, was one of the top 24 players in the country chosen to play in the McDon- ald's All-American Game in March. The nation's No. 4 wing and No. 17 overall prospect according to ESPN, Brown-Turner is the first five-star recruit in Moore's six years in Raleigh. She averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior, and was named the 2019 Maryland Girls Player of the Year and a third-team Naismith High School All-American. "Jakia is a big-time scoring threat," Moore said. "She's a lefty, which is always nice to have, she can really stroke the three, and has the size to take peo - ple off the bounce to get to the rim and finish against contact." ESPN analyst Dan Olson listed Brown-Turner as "among the most improved prospects in the nation." A second five-star recruit headed to Raleigh this fall is 6-2 forward Jada Boyd. The graduate of Ap - pomattox County High School in Virginia, she was ranked as the No. 5 forward and No. 32 overall re- cruit in the country by ESPN after averaging a stag- gering 33.2 points and 15.1 rebounds per game as a sen ior. Boyd is a two-time first-team USA Today All-State selection. "Jada's a relentless rebounder on both ends of the floor," Moore said. "We feel like she'll be able to be a double-double player much like [former All-ACC first teamer] Chelsea Nelson. "She's going to create matchup problems for peo - ple because of her ability to score inside and out." Another inside threat is 6-1 Camille Hobby, a three- star prospect rated as the No. 18 post player in the land by ESPN. The Class 7A Florida Player of the Year from Jacksonville's Nease High School, she averaged 17.9 points and 10.8 rebounds a game as a senior for a team that went 30-2 and advanced to the Florida 7A state championship game. The daughter of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach Marion Hobby was named Florida's Miss Basketball and picked to the USA Today All-State first-team squad this past season. "She has good strength on the block and can score in a variety of ways, whether it be inside with post moves or from the trail position with a soft touch on the three," Moore said. Kendal Moore, a 5-6 point guard from Fayetteville, N.C., is the final member of the class of 2019. A three-star recruit and the No. 27 point guard in the nation according to ESPN, Moore was a USA Today All-State second-team selection this past season. As a senior at Pine Forest High, she averaged 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for a 22-5 team that reached the third round of the North Carolina Class 4A playoffs. "Kendal has a high motor and is someone who is going to get the ball and push it in transition,' Moore said. "She takes people off the bounce and either creates her own shot or sets up teammates. She can also knock down the three." — Brian Rapp NC State Brings In The ACC's Top-Ranked Recruiting Class Jakia Brown-Turner was NC State women's bas- ketball's first signee to play in the McDonald's All-American Game since Amber White in 2006. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Despite ranking sixth on the team with 24.8 minutes played per game, freshman post Elissa Cu- nane paced the Pack in field goal percentage (54.9), free throws made (136) and attempted (179), and blocks (28), while also finishing third in scoring (13.6 points per game). PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN