Talented Guard Announces Return to NC State

RALEIGH — After a key loss to the transfer portal in Zamareya Jones, NC State women's basketball got more good news Saturday when freshman guard Destiny "Ky'She" Lunan announced her decision to return to the Wolfpack for her sophomore season, posting the news on social media.

It's a major win for the Wolfpack, as it now has a backcourt tandem returning with Lunan and rising senior Zoe Brooks, one of the faces of the program in the 2025-26 season. Lunan experienced some growing pains in her first collegiate season, but still showed flashes of significant talent. Head coach Wes Moore will try to build on that talent in year two, while also working to rebuild the roster moving forward.

More on Lunan's return

🚨Destiny “Ky’She” Lunan running it back with the pack🐺 season 2 loading…….. @PackWomensBball #kyshe #destinykyshe #mydestinyisalreadywritten pic.twitter.com/FXfSPZ6epw
— Destiny “Ky’She” Lunan 🇺🇸🇯🇲🏀 (@destiny_kyshe) March 28, 2026

With Jones announcing her intention to transfer, retaining some of the other backcourt talent still on the roster became critical for Moore and his staff. Because of the thin nature of the roster in the 2025-26 season, Lunan got more playing time over the course of the season out of necessity, something she embraced and used well to prove her level of talent.

Lunan averaged 4.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 34% from 3-point range. She earned the start in the team's second round loss to Michigan at the NCAA Tournament after Brooks went down with an injury in the first round victory over Tennessee. Lunan posted 10 or more points on four different occasions.

Destiny Lunan and Kendall Dudley — N.C. State guard Destiny Lunan (7) and Michigan forward Kendall Dudley (22) battle for the loose ball during the second half of NCAA Tournament Second Round at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday, March 22, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The hope is that Lunan takes a similar leap to the one Jones took between her freshman and sophomore seasons. Jones doubled her scoring output as a sophomore and took on a much larger role in the starting five. While Moore could add someone with more experience out of the transfer portal, it's more likely that help from elsewhere will be in the frontcourt.

Given her speed and ball-handling ability, as well as her larger size than Jones, Lunan might actually be a better complement to Brooks in the backcourt than Jones was. Lunan arrived in Raleigh with a four-star tag and was one of the best players in the state of Arizona, so the pedigree is certainly there. Now comes the development.

Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore on the sideline against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Moore bemoaned the youth and inexperience of his roster all year long, but didn't make excuses for it, taking credit for putting the team together. He'll be looking to change that this offseason and a more experienced Lunan is a step in the right direction in building a stronger Wolfpack for the 2026-27 season.

There are still critical pieces worth retaining on the NC State roster, but resources could be an issue in keeping those players in the building. Only time will tell what the roster looks like a year from now, but the backcourt seems to be settled for now.