As NC State women’s basketball transitions into the final month of its regular season, it is about to enter a gauntlet of tough ACC teams. After a dominating win over Florida State, the Pack is now 19-4 (11-1 ACC), and it’s time to discuss midseason awards.
MVP — Aziaha James
For the Wolfpack, it’s an obvious choice — senior guard Aziaha James. James came into the season expected to perform at a high level due to her success and progress in previous years, most notably in 2023-24.
James has not disappointed Wolfpack fans, leading the team in points per game with 18. In the Pack’s Play4Kay game against the Duke Blue Devils, James scored a career-high of 36. James has also been rebounding and assisting at a high level with an average of 4.8 and 2.7, respectively. If James is on the court, every other team is going to have a high awareness of her and for good reason.
Most improved player — Zoe Brooks
Sophomore guard Zoe Brooks had several impressive moments for fans of the red-and-white in her freshman year. In her first year as a starter, she has improved her game and gotten more confident on the floor, particularly on the offensive side. Brooks currently ranks second on the team in points per game with 13.7, continually taking drives to the basket and taking jump shots when necessary.
Where Brooks has really shined, however, is in the assist game. She currently has an average of 4.2 assists per game, good enough to lead the team. One of her biggest strengths is being able to get all of her teammates involved efficiently, which continually becomes important for Brooks in particular considering that there are no juniors on the team.
The seniors are all guards, being Aziaha James, Madison Hayes and Saniya Rivers. Hayes is a graduate, while James and Rivers are seniors projected to be picked high in the WNBA draft. With this in mind, this team could very well be Brooks’s team to build around next year, so seeing her be able to step into a leadership role effortlessly is something for Wolfpack fans to get excited about.
Best defensive player — Saniya Rivers
As said previously, this could likely be Rivers’s last year wearing the red-and-white, and she is making her senior year one to remember. She currently averages 12.2 points per game and 2.9 assists.
Where Rivers has shined even more though is on the defensive side of the basketball. She leads the team in both steals and blocks per game with 1.7 and 1.2, respectively, and usually is the one seen scoring whenever the Wolfpack is able to get a fast break. She also records 5.8 rebounds per game, which is an impressive defensive statistic.
Rookie of the year — Zamareya Jones
This current Pack squad has four freshmen on the team, all of whom have shown bright spots and big moments, but the best rookie at this point has been freshman guard Zamareya Jones. Jones has missed several games due to an injury, but when she has been on the court, she has shown why she was such a big recruit coming out of high school.
When she has come off the bench, she currently averages 8.1 points per game, with 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Where she has shined big though is through her shooting accuracy. Jones’s field goal percentage currently sits at 42.7%, which won’t seem too impressive to a casual fan, but in the context of transitioning from high school ball to college ball, it’s a hard mark to hit.
