Wes Moore wins ACC Coach of the Year, other Pack women’s basketball players honored

NC State women’s basketball head coach Wes Moore was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year on Tuesday, March 1 by the Blue Ribbon Panel and head coaches around the league.

Moore’s Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 26-3 overall record, as well as a 17-1 ACC record. NC State finished the year as just one of two teams that went undefeated at home, going 9-0, and it has won its last 17 ACC home games. In addition, Moore was one of three coaches named to the 2022 Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List.

Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks and Notre Dame’s Niele Ivey were second (73 votes) and third (70), respectively, in voting behind Moore’s 150 points in the Blue Ribbon Panel.

Moore wasn’t the only member of the women’s basketball team to earn ACC honors. For the Blue Ribbon Panel, senior center Elissa Cunane came in second place in ACC Player of the Year voting with 861 points, one spot behind her childhood best friend Elizabeth Kitley.

Though she didn’t earn Player of the Year honors, Cunane was selected to the Blue Ribbon Panel’s All-ACC First Team.

Cunane averaged 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season, shooting 52.5% from the floor and 43.5% from deep on 23 total attempts. 

Sophomore guard Diamond Johnson and graduate forward Kayla Jones were honorable mentions for the All-ACC Teams by the Blue Ribbon Panel.

Jones finished the year averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds on a 54/42.4/77.4 shooting split. It’s a strong return to form for the forward who began the year coming off the bench as she recovered from an injury.

As for the 2021-22 Head Coaches Awards, Johnson was picked as the Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and shooting 36.1% from downtown.

For the second straight year, NC State rostered a Co-Sixth Player of the Year, with junior forward Jada Boyd coming away with the award last season.

Cunane made the All-ACC First Team for the coaches, while Jones made the All-ACC Second Team.

Rounding out the award-winning players for the Wolfpack, freshman guard Aziaha James was selected to the All-Freshman Team by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and the Head Coaches Awards. James finished the year averaging 4.2 points in just 9.9 minutes per game.