As January 2025 comes to a close, there is now only one more full month left of the Division I women’s basketball regular season. For NC State women’s basketball, it’s clear the balanced guard play is what’s leading to its success.
The Wolfpack came into the 2024-25 season with three returning starters at the guard position. These are senior guard Saniya Rivers, senior guard Aziaha James and graduate guard Madison Hayes. All three played a pivotal role in the team’s journey to the NCAA Final Four and were expected to go into this current season continuing to make big plays in big moments. For the most part, they have done just that.
Between these three, there has been extremely balanced play, with each of them leading in a team statistic of their own. James leads in points per game with 17.4, Hayes leads in rebounds with 6.7 and Rivers leads in blocks and steals with 1.1 and 1.8, respectively. It is always expected for the starters to have the most season points, and while James has the most, Rivers and Hayes have contributed greatly to the scoring game as well with averages of 12.1 and 10.3, respectively.
Another key playmaker for the Wolfpack is sophomore guard Zoe Brooks. Brooks is the fourth guard playing in the Pack’s starting lineup and has proved that she belongs with the veterans. Brooks currently leads the team in assists with 4.0 per game and ranks second on the roster in points average with 13.1. Her statistics in both assists and scoring show that she is growing as a player and team leader, which will be extremely important considering that the team has no juniors in between the sophomores and seniors.
Another playmaker for the Pack is freshman guard Zamareya Jones. Jones came into the season a highly-ranked recruit out of high school, and despite missing several games due to an injury, she has transitioned into Division I play very smoothly, averaging 8.2 points per appearance. The future of the Pack looks bright with Jones on the roster.
One thing that separates this team from others in the ACC and the country is the dynamic offense through the guards. The four guards starting each game have proven to be difficult to predict for opponents. It is clear that the top scorer on the team is James, but if she has an off-day shooting, Wolfpack fans will not be too concerned as they know Rivers, Hayes and Brooks have the ability to step up and score the ball. In its game against Boston College, the Pack had six players in double figures, five of those being guards.
As NC State moves into February, it should feel comfortable with its dynamic guard play. The amount of scoring depth that it has from its players gives the team great potential to compete for an ACC and National Championship.
