It has been over two decades since NC State women’s basketball has made an appearance in the NCAA Final Four. Legendary head coach Kay Yow and her team made Wolfpack history in 1998, and now head coach Wes Moore leads the red-and-white to its second Final Four in program history.
The Wolfpack (31-6) ousted No. 2 seeded Stanford on Friday night and faced No. 1 seed Texas (33-5) in the Elite Eight. The Longhorns were no easy target, winning the Big 12 Championship and boasting one of the most dominant defenses in the NCAA, but NC State has shown time and time again that seeding does not matter and defeated Texas 76-66.
Despite playing solid offense, it was the Pack’s defense that really pushed the team to an elite level. Texas was unable to score more than 20 points in any of the quarters, including being held to 14 points during the first frame. The Pack tallied seven blocks throughout the matchup, with senior guard Madison Hayes leading the roster with three and followed by graduate guard Mimi Collins tallying two.
The Pack’s ability to convert fastbreak opportunities into points also paid off well. When Texas made a mistake, NC State was able to get ahead and put 16 points on the board with the fastbreak. While the red-and-white had 11 turnovers it was the Longhorns who struggled the most, giving up the ball 14 times.
Junior guard Aziaha James once again stole the show on the court; with her 27-point showing, she now has 22+ points in three straight games. The first half was the James Show, especially at the 3-point line. Heading into halftime shooting 5-5 from beyond the arc, it was clear that James is the heart and soul of this team.
Finishing 7-9 at the 3-point line and 52% from the field, James elevated the Pack to seize the lead. Freshman guard Zoe Brooks also took control during the first half and made clutch free throws to help the Wolfpack finish the first frame up 19-14. Junior guard Saniya Rivers wasn’t her usual scoring machine but played a supporting role for all those on the court and finished the match with five rebounds and five assists.
Coming out of the half with a 43-31 lead, the red-and-white looked relaxed on the court. The Longhorns took advantage of the Pack’s overconfidence, going on 11-3 run with two minutes left in the third frame. Outscoring the Pack 17-14, Texas showed that they wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Guard Shay Holle was the only Longhorn to play the full 40 minutes and played important roles up and down the court. James and Rivers played the whole matchup for the Pack, and their presence held a steady constant for the Wolfpack, keeping momentum high even in moments when it seemed like Texas was coming back quickly.
James cooled off during the second half, only making two 3-pointers. Graduate center River Baldwin picked up where James left off though; after not making any baskets in the first half, Baldwin went on to tally 16 points in the second half. While having an imposing presence under the basket, Baldwin was important to the Pack’s 24 points in the paint.
The Longhorns’ greatest caveat to their game was missing 3-pointers and only going 1-6 from beyond the arc. They were not given many chances to shoot in that zone though, since NC State’s perimeter defense was locked in from the first tip-off.
It has been a long journey for the ladies of the court. After being predicted to be eighth in the ACC and unranked in the preseason polls, it is clear that the Wolfpack thrives off being doubted. NC State is the seventh team in women’s NCAA Division I basketball to start the season unranked and then go on to make the Final Four.
The Wolfpack’s Final Four matchup is set. Scheduled to take on undefeated South Carolina, the red-and-white will face its toughest challenge yet in Cleveland, Ohio. The semifinal matchup against the Gamecocks is set for Friday, April 5, with time and streaming to be determined.
