From books to NBA2K, how the NC State women’s team is killing time before NCAA games
You could see the wheels turning in Elissa Cunane’s head as she processed the question.
The N.C. State center was trying to track exactly how many days the team had been in Texas. Or maybe she was trying to recall what day it was. Perhaps both.
The time between arriving at the NCAA women’s basketball tournament until the Wolfpack’s first game isn’t short. The All-American center and her N.C. State team have been in San Antonio since Tuesday, and as of Friday, there were still two days until the Wolfpack’s Sunday game against North Carolina A&T in the opening round of the tournament.
It hasn’t been a typical road trip for the No. 1 seed Wolfpack. Since arriving in Texas, the players didn’t touch a basketball until Thursday, their first day of practice. Instead, there have been daily COVID-19 tests and a lot of solitary time.
According to NCAA women’s tournament coronavirus protocols, “all Tier 1 participants (including athletes) will always observe physical distancing and masking. Exceptions to universal masking are while alone in the hotel room or during prearranged and approved mealtimes.”
Cunane brought some books to read. She had a class assignment to turn in when they arrived and another one due Sunday, the same day the Wolfpack plays the Aggies. Of course, she’s had time to catch up on sleep. Anything to get by until tip-off.
“We’ve had a lot of downtime,” Cunane said. “For the most part, I’ve been doing school work and reading books in my room, sleeping a lot to prepare my body for these games.”
Cunane has lost count of the days, but when they did hit the court for the first time on Thursday, she was reminded why they were there.
“I felt like yesterday’s practice was the best practice ever,” forward Kayla Jones told the media Friday. “Because we were just out and free. When we see each other we laugh and joke. It’s best when we see each other’s faces because it feels like we are stuck in our rooms.”
No home-court advantage for the No. 1 Wolfpack
N.C. State earned a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed for the first time in school history, but there is no home-court advantage for the first two rounds this year. All teams in the field are in San Antonio, playing in five different venues across the area due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To avoid the spread of COVID-19, teams have to be strategic on how they move around the area until game day.
Cunane said they’ve played a lot of “middle school games” while waiting to be tested. She even unsuccessfully tried to explain the rules of one.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s been middle school games you would play with a group of friends to entertain ourselves.”
Burning time with PS4, TV shows
Jones, one of three seniors on the team, said this is unlike any road trip she’s ever been on. To prepare for what she hopes will be a long stay, Jones told the media that some teammates brought gaming systems. She’s a PS4 gamer herself, with NBA 2K being her game of choice. According to Jones, sophomore guard Jakia Brown-Turner is the best player on the team when it comes to 2K.
Jones, a fan of the Marvel franchise, wondered if she should finish “Wandavision,” the MCU spinoff series streaming on Disney+. She has plenty of time, if she can get past the first couple of episodes.
“It was just (in) black and white,” Jones said about the throwback opening episodes of the show. “So I should have kept going?”
If the team makes a Final Four run, with the title game sent for April 4, that’s a lot of time to pass and a chance for Jones and her teammates to get caught up on any show they want.
NCAA women’s tournament: NC State vs. North Carolina A&T
When: 4 p.m., Sunday
Watch: ESPN
