A look back: NC State Wolfpack 2020 ACC WBB Championship

Brian Rapp, Triangle Sports Network

Brian Rapp

Correspondent

RALEIGH – Understandably, the NC State Wolfpack is still riding high following its Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament championship win this past weekend – as highlighted on NC State Women’s Basketball social media platforms, among others.

In looking back at the historic event, here’s an avalanche of details to keep discussions and reminiscing fueled for a little while longer.

If some feel the Pack is Back, this list will note that NC State never really left – just went dormant for a while, if anything.

NC State Wolfpack ACC Notables

  • Sunday marked NC State’s 15th appearance in the ACC Tournament championship game since the event debuted in 1978. That ties for second-most all-time with Duke; North Carolina has the most championship game appearances, 23.
  • The Pack’s win, its fifth ACC Tournament title, ties for fourth-most in the tournament’s history. Notre Dame has also won five ACC tournaments, all since its entry into the conference in 2014. Original ACC member Maryland holds the record for most ACC Tournament championships (10), followed by North Carolina (9), Duke (8), Virginia (3), Clemson (2) and Louisville (1).
  • NC State’s win Sunday is the first for an “original” ACC member (Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Wake Forest) since Duke’s 92-73 win over UNC in the 2013 title game.
  • The Pack’s 71-66 win over Florida State gives NC State a perfect 5-0 record against the Seminoles in ACC Tournament games. The Pack also defeated FSU in 2006 (64-60), 2007 (76-49), 2012 (74-71) and 2019 (69-62).
  • In the 14 years from 1978 to 1991, NC State played in the tournament championship 11 times. Following is the complete list of the Wolfpack’s 15 ACC Tournament Championship games, including seed numbers:

1978          #2 Maryland 89, #1 NC State 82

1979          #1 Maryland 75, #2 NC State 73

1980          #1 NC State 85, #2 Maryland 75*

1981          #3 Maryland 64, #4 NC State 63

1983          #3 Maryland 84, #1 NC State 81

1984          #5 North Carolina 99, #3 NC State 76

1985          #1 NC State 81, #2 North Carolina 80*

1987          #2 NC State 57, #1 Virginia 56*

1989          #1 Maryland 89, #2 NC State 57

1990          #2 Virginia 67, #1 NC State 64 (OT)

1991          #3 NC State 84, #4 Clemson 61*

2001          #1 Duke 57, #3 NC State 45

2007          #2 North Carolina 60, #4 NC State 54

2010          #1 Duke 70, #6 NC State 60

2020          #2 NC State 71, #4 Florida State 66*

*ACC Tournament Title

  • The Pack’s three wins in the 2020 ACC Tournament gives NC State an overall 51-38 record in its 89 ACC Tournament games, and 7-6 in the 13 games played during Wes Moore’s seven years as coach.
  • Senior guard Aislinn “Ace” Konig is the fifth Wolfpack player to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the ACC Tournament. She joins Genia Beasley (1980), Linda Page (1983), Andrea Stinson (1990) and Sharon Manning (1991). Stinson was the 1990 tournament MVP despite NC State’s overtime loss to Virginia; in 1985, UNC’s Dawn Royster took MVP honors despite the Tar Heels one-point loss to NC State. Page shared the 1983 tournament MVP award with Maryland’s Jasmina Perazic.
  • The Pack’s five MVP awards ties Notre Dame for fourth most in tournament history; North Carolina’s 10 tops second-place Maryland (nine); Duke is third, with seven. UNC’s Ivory Latta has the record for most individual MVP selections (3: 2005-2007).

Triangle Sports Network: 401-323-8960, @tsportsnet