The 2023-24 NC State women’s basketball season tips off Nov. 7 and there have been some major changes for the team since it suffered a disappointing first round upset in the NCAA tournament last season. Only five members of that team are returning, in addition to two transfers and six true freshmen.

The team will look extremely young with true freshmen filling voids left by Diamond Johnson, Jada Boyd, Jakia Brown-Turner and Camille Hobby after their departures at the end of last season. Head coach Wes Moore is looking at another overhaul in his roster as he lost those four starters. Junior guard Saniya Rivers, senior guard Madison Hayes, junior guard Aziaha James, graduate forward Mimi Collins and graduate center River Baldwin will be stepping up this year to lead the team. 

Centers

With Baldwin being the only returning center, she’ll be looking for support from graduate center Lizzy Williamson and freshman center Mallory Collier. Baldwin transferred to the Pack last season at the position and played 31 games. She averaged 5.7 points, four rebounds and 14.5 minutes over the course of the season. Collier was ranked the No. 55 player for the class of 2023 by ESPN and earned an ESPN scout grade of 93.

Williamson transferred in from Southern Utah after a great 22-23 season. She was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season and helped lead her squad to a WAC Tournament title. Williamson averaged 9.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game with Southern Utah last year. She’s a strong addition to the team and will most likely see plenty of court time. 

Guards

NC State was lucky in the offseason to retain three of its guards. Rivers, Hayes and James all return and are poised to lead the team on the court as starters. Rivers enjoyed a strong season with the Pack last year, starting in 12 of the 31 games she played in, while also earning the ACC Sixth Player of the Year accolade. Hayes and James both had minutes in all 32 games last year. Between the three, they averaged 22.4 points per game. 

Even with the returning squad, freshman guards Zoe Brooks and Laci Steele shine on the young roster. Brooks was ranked as a top-five guard and top-ten player in ESPN’s rankings for the class of 2023. She averaged 22.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in her senior season that earned her SB Live’s 2023 National Player of the Year. 

Steele averaged 21.3 points per game in her senior year and was ranked No. 56 in ESPN’s class of 2023. The addition of these two to the existing depth at this position will give Moore the flexibility to see who works best together and adjust the offensive strategy quicker by shifting who is on the court. 

Wings

Junior forward Katie Peneueta will be joining Collins at this position. The transfer from Sacramento State made 27 starts out of 29 games played last season and averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Peneueta ranked sixth in the nation last year as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the country. Freshman forward Maddie Cox also joins the Pack this year, ranked No. 71 in ESPN’s class of 2023. 

Collins started in nine of 32 games last season and was named in the preseason top-20 list for the Katrina McClain Award that is awarded to the top power forward every year. She averaged 6.9 points and four rebounds per game last year. 

While Collins got comfortable at NC State last year, Peneueta’s impact at Sacramento State might earn her a starting position in some early games this season.