March 31, 2024 is a day that will go down in history NC State women’s basketball.
That’s when the Wolfpack punched a ticket to its first Final Four appearance since 1998. With veteran players like Mimi Collins and River Baldwin leading the charge, the Wolfpack dominated in March of 2024, and many Wolfpack fans are wondering if the Pack can find that same magic this year.
NC State entered the 2024-25 season ranked No. 2 in the ACC preseason poll and No. 9 in the AP preseason poll, and so far the Pack has held up its end of the bargain. Currently, the Wolfpack is ranked second in the conference, just under Notre Dame. It has also been a mainstay in the Top 25 AP poll the whole season and is No. 14 but will most likely move up after taking down No. 10 Duke.
But what do the statistics say? Does NC State have what it takes to make deep runs in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments?
The Wolfpack is second in the ACC in defensive rebounds per game and averages the third-highest rebounds per game. The team shoots 45.4% from the floor with its top scorers including senior guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers leading the charge, along with sophomore guard Zoe Brooks in the mix as well.
At the beginning of the season, it seemed as if NC State couldn’t compete with the best in college basketball. It fell short in a Final Four rematch against then-No. 1 South Carolina, lost to No. 9 TCU and then-No.7 LSU. Starting the season out 5-3 was not in the Wolfpack’s plan, but soon the team found a rhythm.
With tough losses against good teams, many wondered if the Pack could compete against some of the best in the NCAA. But eventually, the Wolfpack found its footing and now it seems the Pack has a good foundation heading into March.
A 68-61 win against then-No.18 Ole Miss got the red-and-white rolling, along with Brooks and freshman guard Zamareya Jones who put up points. Crushing a historic program in Stanford a few weeks later, and keeping a 15-1 record since the loss to LSU, it became clear that NC State had the mettle to rebound from a rough start.
And it was against No. 10 Duke in the Play4Kay game where the Wolfpack proved it has what it takes to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament again. With the Blue Devils boasting one of the best defenses in the ACC, it was a tough start for the red-and-white, including the Pack only scoring eight points in the second quarter. But James didn’t allow the Pack to go down without a fight. Behind a career-high 36 points, James led the team to an 89-83 win over a Top-10 team.
This win proved NC State belonged among the best in the country, but the Pack has a tough road before the March arrives. With seven games left in the regular season, the Pack has matchups against four Top-25 teams, including No. 3 Notre Dame who is currently undefeated in ACC play.
This survive and advance mentality can hold this group together even more than before. The first round of the ACC Tournament starts on March 5 in Greensboro, North Carolina — let the countdown begin.
