The bracket is in, the times are set and now all that’s left to do is play: the ACC women’s basketball tournament is set to begin on Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina. Here’s a look at the path for the Triangle teams chasing a championship this week.
NC State
The Wolfpack locked up the 2-seed with a win on Sunday afternoon against Wake Forest, giving them a double-bye. NC State won’t play until Friday March 8 at 5 p.m. Its opponent will be the winner of the matchup between 7-seed Duke and Georgia Tech/Pitt. Should the higher seeds advance, the Wolfpack split the season series with the Blue Devils, beating Duke at home in January and losing to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in February.
The Wolfpack finished the season 25-5 overall, 13-5 in ACC play. NC State ended the season with two home wins, against No. 19 Syracuse and Wake Forest. All five of the Wolfpack starters average at least 10 points per game. Aziaha James leads the way with 15.6 ppg.
NC State has won the ACC women’s basketball tournament seven times, including three straight in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Duke
Even with its loss to North Carolina on Sunday, Duke is the 7-seed in the ACC Tournament. While not a double-bye, the Blue Devils will skip the first round, playing on Thursday March 7 at 5 p.m. Its opponent will be the winner of the matchup between 10-seed Georgia Tech and 15-seed Pitt on Wednesday.
The Blue Devils finished the season with a 19-10 record, 11-7 in ACC play. Duke has played one of the tougher schedules in the country, including games against No. 1 South Carolina and No. 4 Stanford. Duke boasts one of the best defenses in the ACC, allowing just 57.9 points per game. Junior Reigan Richardson leads the way on offense, averaging 11.9 points per game.
Should the Blue Devils win on Thursday, they’ll face 2-seed NC State on Friday at 5 p.m. The two teams split the season series, with Duke winning the most recent matchup.
Duke has won the ACC women’s basketball tournament eight times, most recently in 2013.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels bounced back from back-to-back losses to beat rival Duke in Carmichael Arena on Sunday and will be the 8-seed in the ACC Tournament. North Carolina also has a bye and will play 9-seed Miami on Thursday March 7 at 1:30 p.m.
UNC finished the season with a 19-11 record, 11-7 in ACC play. The Tar Heels started ACC play 7-1, but lost four-straight games at the end of January and beginning of February. North Carolina went 4-2 in its final six games of the season. Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski all score in double-figures for the Tar Heels, with Deja Kelly leading the way with 16.8 points per game.
Should North Carolina win on Thursday, they’ll face 1-seed Virginia Tech on Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Hokies won both games against UNC this season, although the first did go to overtime in Chapel Hill.
North Carolina has won the most ACC women’s basketball tournaments of active members (9), most recently in 2008.
