One Guard Could Be Wolfpack's X-Factor in ACC Tournament

RALEIGH — As NC State prepares for the 2026 Ally ACC Tournament, several players have hit their stride at the right time of year for the Wolfpack. While stars like Zoe Brooks, Khamil Pierre, Tilda Trygger and Zamareya Jones must carry the primary scoring burden for the Pack throughout the postseason, any additional contribution could push the team over the top against stiff competition.

Sophomore guard Devyn Quigley entered the season as a potential breakout player off the bench, given her skill as a 3-and-D player during her freshman season. The shooting never happened consistently enough for Quigley to earn regular minutes, but the triples started to fall in the last two weeks of the regular season. If that continues, she could be the difference for NC State.

Making shots at the right time

Between Dec. 14 and Feb. 22, Quigley did not score more than five points for the Wolfpack. She made just two 3-pointers during that stretch, but didn't take many shots in her limited action, as NC State coach Wes Moore tightened the rotation and leaned even more on his starters than usual. However, he still believed in Quigley's ability as she worked her way off the bench with defense and effort.

"I see it every day in practice," Moore said. "She shoots the heck out of it. She hasn't always done that in games for whatever reason, but I think we're seeing that now. It's a great time to be able to add that to our offensive arsenal. I'm happy for Devyn, I think she's enjoying it and I'm happy for our team, because I think it gives us a good lift."

In wins over Wake Forest and Pittsburgh, Quigley's shooting stroke returned impressively. She buried four triples against the Demon Deacons, scoring a season-high 14 points. She followed it up by making all three of her attempts from beyond the arc in her team's dominant win over the Panthers, scoring nine points. Moore believes the recent improvement stems from one thing primarily.

"I think Devyn's found her confidence a little bit," he said. "I've always known she's a great shooter and ... If you close out too hard on her, she's good at taking it off the bounce for the pull-up jumper. She shoots it well. We need her. We need that extra scorer. ... We need to just be solid at that position. ... Devyn, she's been here and it's her second year now and it's I think kicking in some."

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