With the regular season over and the postseason here, it’s time to take a look at how NC State women’s basketball went from unranked to competing for a national championship this season.
Here are some takeaways from the Wolfpack’s regular season and how it exceeded its preseason expectations.
Hunter to hunted
NC State started the season in unfamiliar territory as it was unranked and picked to finish eighth in the ACC preseason poll. Although unusual, players enjoyed starting the season as underdogs and used it as motivation.
“We were the underdogs, and we had this chip on our shoulder coming in,” said junior guard Saniya Rivers.
It didn’t take long for the Wolfpack to prove it belonged in the rankings with early season wins over then-No. 2 UConn and then-No. 3 Colorado. These wins catapulted the Pack from unranked to top five before the end of November. It’s the first time in women’s college basketball history that a team went from unranked to top five before December.
“We enjoyed not being ranked; we had so much to prove and nobody expected anything of us,” said graduate center River Baldwin. “So we just came out, hooped, had fun with each other and proved ourselves to everybody because nobody expected anything.”
Not only did NC State get two wins against top three opponents, but it has seven ranked wins on the season, proving it can take down the best of the best. The Pack quickly went from being the hunter to the hunted, and a mentality change had to come with that, knowing it would face the best shot from every team it faced.
The Wolfpack had the respect of everyone it played while at the same time still having that underdog mentality it started the season with.
Balanced attack
Unlike most teams in college basketball, NC State doesn’t rely on just one or two players to run the offense. All five starters are averaging over 10 points per game and have set their career highs in scoring this season.
“I think our strength is our team,” said head coach Wes Moore. “We got a lot of people on any given day that can step up and carry us.”
Rivers and junior guard Aziaha James expose defenses with their long and mid-range games while Baldwin, graduate forward Mimi Collins and senior guard Madison Hayes punish their defenders inside.
What makes these five so versatile is players like Collins and Hayes who can also step behind the line and knock down 3-pointers while Rivers and James aren’t afraid to attack the paint against bigger defenders.
Opposing teams essentially have to pick their poison when it comes to guarding the Pack because it is nearly impossible to stop all five.
Clamps
Moore’s teams have always taken pride on the defensive end, and this season is no different. NC State ranks first in the ACC in opponent field goal percentage and 15th in the country. The red-and-white has talented individual defenders but its communication and connectivity on the defensive end allow it to shut down opponents.
In each of its seven ranked wins, the Wolfpack held its opponents under their scoring average. The most impressive of the seven was holding Notre Dame to just 43 points — nearly 40 points below its average.
“Nothing tops Notre Dame, like, our defense was on point,” Rivers said. “If we bring that energy from Notre Dame every game, there’s nobody that can stop us.”
Although it’s a team effort, Rivers’ lockdown perimeter defense allows the rest of her team to settle in on their assignments. The junior guard is tasked with guarding the team’s best player every game and steps up to the challenge every time.
When NC State goes up against the best, it brings the defensive intensity that Moore built this program on. The Pack will need to continue hounding its opponents on defense to achieve its goals of winning the ACC Championship and National Championship.
