No. 9 NC State women’s basketball is no stranger to adversity. It’s always done things the hard way, through grit, determination and perseverance. But three weeks ago, the Wolfpack looked at its upcoming schedule just one month before the ACC and NCAA Tournaments and recognized a formidable uphill battle.
“February is brutal,” said head coach Wes Moore. “Five out of six games against ranked teams, three of them on the road and, oh boy, the two at home are Duke and Notre Dame. Two top-10 teams. Gotta look at the schedule, folks. Road games are tough every night in the ACC, but now you’re going to three ranked ones. We still got a whole lot of speed bumps ahead of us.”
At the time, NC State had already fought through much just three months into the season. After being ranked No. 9 in the preseason, the Wolfpack lost three of its first seven games. Though the three losses were all away games against teams currently in the top 10, the Pack’s only wins came against non-Power Four teams. The tough stretch dropped the Red-and-White to No. 22.
Fans thought last season’s magic dissipated, and the Wolfpack would simply get lost in the crowd of the ACC. But NC State fought, going on a seven-game win streak with an average margin of victory of 18 points. However, AP voters still weren’t convinced — the Pack only moved up one spot to No. 21.
To make matters worse, the Wolfpack fell in an away match to then-No. 24 California. It simply couldn’t defeat ranked teams on the road — a bad omen for a tournament-hopeful team.
Nonetheless, NC State continued to battle, producing a six-game win streak with an average margin of victory of 13. Now, the Pack had to get through five ranked teams in the next six games, each presenting a new challenge for it to deal with.
Hosting then-No. 10 Duke, the red-and-white scored a whopping 89 points on the second-best defense in the ACC behind senior guard Aziaha James’ career-high 36 points, securing its best win of the season. It then had to do something it had failed to do all season — win a ranked game on the road. Traveling to Tallahassee, Florida, the Pack prepared to face then-No. 22 Florida State and one of the best scorers in the nation, guard Ta’Niya Latson.
NC State not only defeated the Seminoles, but it steamrolled them in a 97-74 masterclass, handing Florida State its largest loss of the season. After previously going 0-3 in ranked road games, the Red-and-White emphatically solved its problem.
The Wolfpack was slated to have an easier game against unranked Miami in Reynolds Coliseum, but the Hurricanes reminded everyone that no win is free in the ACC. NC State barely squeaked by in a 76-74 victory but learned the value of never underestimating the opponent.
It finally stumbled in Chapel Hill against then-No. 12 UNC, largely due to a four-point second quarter. But look outside of that second quarter. NC State outrebounded, outassisted and had a better shooting percentage than the Tar Heels. It simply killed any chances at a win with one 10-minute frame. However, the Pack rebounded in a 15-point victory over then-No. 20 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
“It just shows the heart we have,” said sophomore guard Zoe Brooks. “We didn’t stand down against anybody. We weren’t scared of anybody. We fell short one time, but we just kept fighting.”
Finally, the Wolfpack had reached its toughest challenge yet. It was so close to defeating its demanding ranked schedule, but one team stood in its way. With College GameDay in town, under the brightest of lights and on the biggest of stages, then-No. 13 NC State hosted then-No. 1 Notre Dame, which was riding a 19-game win streak. There was no bigger challenge than the best team in the nation — the same team that defeated the Pack in the 2024 ACC Championship.
Led by guard Hannah Hidalgo’s 26 points, Notre Dame gave NC State a run for its money. After struggling in the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish hit a miracle 3-pointer to force overtime. But two extra periods later, the Wolfpack came out on top. It took 10 extra minutes, but NC State hit triple digits for the first time this season in its 104-95 victory, handing Notre Dame its first loss since November and becoming the first team this century to score 100 points against an AP No. 1 team in women’s basketball.
But what many may not have known is that Notre Dame would have clinched the regular season title with a victory. The trophy was in the building and would have been presented to the blue-and-gold on Kay Yow Court had it emerged with a win. But NC State got its revenge for last year’s ACC Championship.
“[Moore] mentioned us being party crashers last year,” said senior guard Saniya Rivers. “I guess we’re party crashers again, and we’re here to stay. We’re here to fight and we’re hoping to cut down some nets this season.”
On Monday, NC State completed the climb back to glory, reaching No. 9 on the AP Poll — the same spot it had been ranked in the preseason. But it’s no longer that timid and lost team that it was in early November. That team was ice-cold. This team is scorching hot. This team took down five ranked teams and played against 11 Quad 1 teams — a triumph only a handful of teams can boast.
More than anything, this team has chemistry that it lacked earlier in the season. There was already clear chemistry between James, Rivers, Brooks and graduate guard Madison Hayes — the veterans who were a key part of last year’s Final Four run and the heart of the team. However, there was trouble integrating the new freshmen into the lineup. Because of graduate forward Caitlin Weimar’s season-ending injury, freshman forward Tilda Trygger and freshman center Lorena Awou were thrust into the spotlight of a collegiate sport that they weren’t fully prepared for. Freshman guard Zamareya Jones was forced to come off the bench after being the number one option on her high school basketball team just a year earlier.
But as Trygger and Awou garnered real-game experience in conference play, their game grew exponentially. Trygger adapted to the American style of basketball while Awou learned to control herself and shake off those rookie mistakes. Jones embraced her role as an off-the-bench scorer that could give the Wolfpack offense new life. As the freshmen settled into the team, the wins began to pile up.
“At the beginning of the season, some people felt like they had to do it on their own,” Rivers said. “But we have so many pieces and we’re so versatile. When we play together, get out in transition, do what we’re supposed to do, we’re gonna win. When we play together like that, we’re gonna win every game.”
NC State is now just two games away from the postseason and has already guaranteed itself a double bye in the ACC Tournament, holding tiebreakers over Duke, Louisville and Florida State. The Wolfpack can even win the ACC regular season title, but it doesn’t have full control of its destiny. In addition to winning its final two games, NC State needs Notre Dame to lose one of its last two games, either against Florida State or Louisville. Since it holds the tiebreaker over the Fighting Irish, the Pack would become ACC regular season champions — a title it hasn’t held since the 2021-22 season.
No matter what the outcome of the regular season title is, one thing is certain — NC State has become one of the most formidable teams in the country. Behind its veteran leadership and rising young stars, the postseason titles seem as attainable as ever.
