As NC State women’s basketball enters the offseason, head coach Wes Moore is already at work, constructing what his roster will look like next year and what he needs to do to build next year’s team, especially with the transfer portal. Here’s a breakdown of what the roster might look like for next season.

Departures

The Wolfpack lost five players from last year’s squad. Starting guard Madison Hayes, Aziaha James, and Saniya Rivers have all departed due to running out of eligibility. Graduate center Lizzy Williamson has entered the transfer portal, seeking another year of eligibility while sophomore guard Laci Steele transferred to Wisconsin.

Guards

As of now, the team has five guards on the roster for 2025-26, three of them being on the team this past season and two being incoming freshmen. The only returning starter at the guard position is sophomore Zoe Brooks. Brooks was the starting point guard, averaging 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Her 3.7 assists per game were second on the team, just behind Rivers with 3.8. This will surely be Brooks’ team to build around next year.

A big standout from the 2024-25 season was freshman guard Zamareya Jones. Jones was a highly ranked prospect coming in from high school, ranked 17th in her class. She dealt with injuries during her freshman season but made standout plays in her first season with the Wolfpack as the team’s first player off the bench. A big moment for her came in the Pack’s Sweet 16 game against the LSU Tigers, where Jones went on an 11-0 run all on her own.

Another returner for the Pack is freshman guard Devyn Quigley. Quigley did not get as much playing time as Jones, but she still played with a lot of confidence, adjusted to the team well and made several impressive plays during the season. Moore gave her key minutes in the postseason, showing the trust he had in the freshman guard.

As well as the three returning guards, the red-and-white will also have two incoming freshman guards joining the squad. Four-star recruits Destiny Lunan from Arizona and Adelaide Jernigan from Kernersville, North Carolina, are signed to run with the Pack next season. Jernigan has also been a part of Team USA’s developmental program and was named an alternate for the U18 USA Women’s National Team.

Forwards

The big standout for the Pack at the forward position in 2025 was freshman Tilda Trygger. Trygger first got an opportunity to start in December at the frontcourt position and stayed in that role for the rest of the season. Trygger, for the most part, has been productive at this position, considering she was asked to play more at center rather than at forward. Trygger getting more involved is what allowed the team to get better as the season progressed, as her move to the five position allowed Moore to run his typical four-out, one-in offense.

Another forward coming back is sophomore Maddie Cox. Cox got minimal playing time this season due to the team’s loaded and experienced lineup, but she stepped up when called upon in the Pack’s Sweet 16 game against LSU, making multiple shots in key situations. Wolfpack fans will look forward to watching her get further developed next season.

Centers

The Wolfpack currently has two players whose role is to play center exclusively. The first being sophomore center Mallory Collier and the second being freshman center Lorena Awou. Both got limited playing time this past season, but both made solid plays throughout, particularly Awou. One thing that Awou will need to work on in the offseason is having a more polished offensive game, as most of her points were put-backs after rebounds. Having a consistent center on offense can go a long way in ensuring that a team has success.

Needs this offseason

With this roster, NC State currently has nine players on its team for next year, which means that it needs to go get a few players from the transfer portal to fill every roster spot. While one for each position would most certainly be great, the biggest need for the Pack would have to be at the guard position. With Moore running a four-guard lineup last season, he will need to go get some guards from the portal so that the freshmen aren’t thrown to the wolves immediately and can ease into the system.

Trygger will most likely continue her role as the starting center, with Brooks and Jones as the backcourt, but that leaves two spots open. Quigley has shown a lot of potential, but the question will be about her being fully ready to step into this role in her sophomore year at a consistent rate. With the right offseason, she could become a great wing guard and serve as the starting sharpshooter of the team, taking James’s role.

With this, there remains one spot open, making it clear that the Wolfpack will need to get two guards in the transfer portal, one that can serve a starting role and one that can add depth to the team. More depth is everything, but guard position is what the Pack will need to rebuild the most. Losing James, Rivers and Hayes is brutal, but it will be interesting to see how Moore replaces them.