Sue Semrau will return as head coach of Florida State after taking a leave of absence for the 2020–21 season to care for her mother. Interim Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff will return to her role as Associate head coach.[3]
Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned amid investigations into allegations of inappropriate behavior on August 2, 2021.[4] Associate head coach Vonn Read was named the interim head coach for the 2021–2022 season on August 4, 2021.[5]
Jakia Brown-Turner – NC State Lorela Cubaj – Georgia Tech Elissa Cunane – NC State Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech Lotta-Maj Lathinen – Georgia Tech Aisha Sheppard – Virginia Tech Hailey Van Lith – Louisville Maddy Westbeld – Notre Dame
ACC Women's Basketball Tip-off
The Preseason Media Poll and Preseason All-ACC teams were voted on after a tipoff event held at the Charlotte Marriott City Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 13, 2021. At the media day, the head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel voted on the finishing order of the teams, an All-ACC team, a Preseason Player of the Year, and Newcomers to watch. A selected group of student athletes also took questions from the media on this day.[13]
At the media day, both the head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel predicted that NC State would be league champion.[14]
ACC preseason polls
2021 ACC Women's Basketball Preseason Polls
Head coaches
Blue Ribbon Panel
NC State – 224 (14)
Louisville – 207 (1)
Georgia Tech – 192
Virginia Tech – 172
Florida State – 152
Notre Dame – 149
North Carolina – 127
Duke – 125
Miami – 92
Clemson – 83
Boston College – 78
Syracuse – 60
Wake Forest – 59
Pittsburgh – 47
Virginia – 33
NC State – 847 (50)
Louisville – 789 (7)
Georgia Tech – 691
Virginia Tech – 644
Florida State – 607
Notre Dame – 580
North Carolina – 488
Duke – 464
Miami – 355
Clemson – 324
Boston College – 297
Wake Forest – 250
Syracuse – 227
Pittsburgh – 160
Virginia – 117
First place votes shown in parentheses.
Preseason All-ACC Teams
2021 ACC Women's Basketball Preseason All-ACC Teams
Note: The Coaches Poll releases a final poll after the NCAA tournament, but the AP Poll does not release a poll at this time. Coaches poll did not release a poll when the AP released its week 2 poll.
Conference Matrix
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team played 18 conference games, and at least 1 against each opponent. The conference returned to an 18-game schedule after playing 20 games last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
Boston College
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Miami
North Carolina
NC State
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
vs. Boston College
–
74–80
51–67
66–58
68–49
79–49 63–53
66–79
76–73
85–78 (OT)
71–73 74–61
64–75 57–69
71–95 75–91
57–65
85–62
70–82
vs. Clemson
80–74
–
64–61
79–68 75–70
69–62 92–84 (OT)
93–71
69–60 76–40
81–62
79–52
77–56
78–73 (OT)
86–46
55–59
73–42
44–66 78–87
vs. Duke
67–51
61–64
–
59–56
59–46
77–65
49–58
78–62 74–46
84–60 77–62
70–72
39–54
65–74
48–57 67–54
77–55 65–54
76–81
vs. Florida State
58–66
68–79 70–75
56–59
–
68–64 63–65 (OT)
75–62
59–52 76–59
64–49
68–48
65–70
52–57
67–73
37–62
92–75
75–69 (OT) 46–87
vs. Georgia Tech
49–68
62–69 84–92 (OT)
46–59
64–68 65–63 (OT)
–
50–48
46–45 51–39
38–55
59–48
72–66 (OT)
52–63
55–65
31–67
73–63
45–62 56–64
vs. Louisville
49–79 53–63
71–93
65–77
62–75
48–50
–
66–69
66–65
68–59
47–73 64–86
39–81 55–66
71–84 64–100
L via forfeit
56–70
60–72
vs. Miami
79–66
60–69 40–76
58–49
52–59 59–76
45–46 39–51
69–66
–
85–38
76–64
69–53
50–60
65–71
55–71
70–63
47–46 59–66
vs. North Carolina
73–76
62–81
62–78 46–74
49–64
55–38
65–66
38–85
–
72–45 66–58
70–65
54–64
43–79
52–61 57–68
46–71 66–61
59–78
vs. NC State
78–85 (OT)
52–79
60–84 62–77
48–68
48–59
59–68
64–76
45–72 58–66
–
69–66
54–89
53–95
55–82 43–66
45–51 66–68
61–92
vs. Notre Dame
73–71 61–74
56–77
72–70
70–65
66–72 (OT)
73–47 86–64
53–69
65–70
66–69
–
59–85 63–77
56–82 62–83
L via forfeit
55–68
64–74
vs. Pittsburgh
75–64 69–57
73–78 (OT)
54–39
57–52
63–52
81–39 66–55
60–50
64–54
89–54
85–59 77–63
–
80–72 67–65
74–65
75–65
57–65
vs. Syracuse
95–71 91–75
46–86
74–65
73–67
65–55
84–71 100–64
71–65
79–43
95–53
82–56 83–62
72–80 65–67
–
70–77
102–53
76–60
vs. Virginia
65–57
59–55
57–48 54–67
62–37
67–31
W via forfeit
71–55
61–52 68–57
82–55 66–43
W via forfeit
65–74
77–70
–
69–52 71–42
68–53
vs. Virginia Tech
62–85
42–73
55–77 54–65
75–92
63–73
70–56
63–70
71–46 61–66
51–45 68–66
68–55
65–75
53–102
52–69 42–71
–
53–66
vs. Wake Forest
82–70
66–44 87–78
81–76
69–75 (OT) 87–46
62–45 64–56
72–60
46–47 66–59
78–59
92–61
74–64
65–57
60–76
53–68
66–53
–
Total
10–8
3–15
7–11
10–8
11–7
16–2
10–8
13–5
17–1
13–5
2–16
4–14
2–16
13–5
4–14
Player of the week
Throughout the conference regular season, the Atlantic Coast Conference offices named a Player(s) of the week and a Rookie(s) of the week.
2021 ACC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams (Blue Ribbon Panel)
First Team
Second Team
Honorable Mention
Freshman Team
Cameron Swartz – Boston College
Delicia Washington – Clemson Lorela Cubaj – Georgia Tech Emily Engstler – Louisville Hailey Van Lith – Louisville
Deja Kelly – North Carolina Elissa Cunane – NC State
Olivia Miles – Notre Dame
Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech
Jewel Spear – Wake Forest
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen – Georgia Tech
Kelsey Marshall – Miami Diamond Johnson – NC State
Kayla Jones – NC State
Teisha Hyman – Syracuse
Georgia Amoore – Virginia Tech
Maria Gakdeng – Boston College
Shayeann Day-Wilson – Duke
O’Mariah Gordon – Florida State
Makayla Timpson – Florida State
Payton Verhulst – Louisville
Ja’Leah Williams – Miami
Aziaha James – NC State
Sonia Citron – Notre Dame
2021 ACC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams (head coaches)
First Team
Second Team
Honorable Mention
Freshman Team
Cameron Swartz – Boston College
Morgan Jones – Florida State Lorela Cubaj – Georgia Tech Emily Engstler – Louisville Hailey Van Lith – Louisville
Deja Kelly – North Carolina Elissa Cunane – NC State
Maya Dodson – Notre Dame
Olivia Miles – Notre Dame
Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech
Taylor Soule – Boston College
Delicia Washington – Clemson
Kayla Jones – NC State Aisha Sheppard – Virginia Tech
Jewel Spear – Wake Forest
Kelsey Marshall – Miami
Georgia Amoore – Virginia Tech
Maria Gakdeng – Boston College
Shayeann Day-Wilson – Duke
O’Mariah Gordon – Florida State
Makayla Timpson – Florida State
Payton Verhulst – Louisville
Ja’Leah Williams – Miami
Aziaha James – NC State
Sonia Citron – Notre Dame
2021 ACC Women's Basketball All-ACC Defensive Team
The ACC had seven players selected in the WNBA Draft. This was the seventeenth consecutive year the league had a player selected, which is the longest of any conference. Their seven players tied for the most players selected from a single conference selected in the draft.[33]