I’ll come right out and say it — the NC State women’s basketball team just isn’t the same one that we’ve seen in years prior. After getting pummeled by Florida State and outpaced by North Carolina within three days and losing four out of its last six games, it’s safe to say that this team is a far cry from the three-peat ACC Championship squads we’ve seen in recent years. 

As I watched NC State have a complete defensive collapse and go down by as many as 27 points to Florida State, it was clear that I wasn’t watching the same team that went blow-for-blow with the top teams in the nation for three consecutive years. I was watching something completely different.

However, I realized that it was okay. Almost every power-five program in the nation dreams of the kind of success that the Wolfpack has had in the past few years. Three seasons, three ACC Championships and a couple of memorable NCAA tournament appearances; could you really ask for much more?

It’s clear that we need to temper our expectations for this year’s women’s basketball team, but just because the Wolfpack isn’t living up to its legendary expectations, that doesn’t mean you should give up quite yet. 

Head coach Wes Moore has constructed a culture within his program that requires discipline, demands excellence and expects success at every level, from practices in the offseason, to championship-level games in March. That’s why NC State’s recent struggles have been such a tough pill to swallow. When expectations are high and rigorous standards are established, it’s that much more difficult for everyone to keep their heads on straight when they aren’t met.

Furthermore, the Wolfpack is missing some of the players, but more importantly, a solidified team identity that made NC State such a formidable opponent in years prior. An experienced set of veterans formed an imposing defense and dependably scored time and again, especially when it mattered the most in big-time games. This team identity defined NC State for years, allowing the red-and-white to dominate the ACC. 

Now in 2023, with many of those crucial players from previous years gone, the Pack is missing that solidified team identity — a crucial element to succeed within college basketball. 

Instead of sticking with one strategy, it seems like NC State’s gameplan changes on a daily basis. Sometimes it seems like the team is trying to ride its better players such as junior guard Diamond Johnson and senior forward Jada Boyd to victory. Other times, it seems like NC State is trying to muddy-up games, disrupting other teams’ gameplans in order to sneak past opponents — a strategy that was evident in the Pack’s recent 56-47 loss to UNC. This lack of identity ultimately makes it a tough watch for a team that seems like it’s merely treading water when on the court.

However, I’m here to tell you to not give up quite yet. Ultimately, it’s those aforementioned sky-high expectations and standards that’ll see the Wolfpack through. For lesser programs, these struggles might seem insurmountable, but for Moore and NC State, they’re obstacles that only the best programs in collegiate women’s basketball can overcome.

These problems won’t be solved overnight, however. It might be weeks, months — it might not even be this season until NC State gets its feet back under itself again, so it’s important to pump the brakes on hopes for a four-peat within the ACC. Tempering expectations are a necessary point in the lifecycle of all great sports teams, but it doesn’t mean you completely give up, especially with a coach like Moore captaining his ship through the storm. 

So don’t sell out on the Wolfpack just yet — temper your expectations, but hold out hope that one of the best coaches and programs in collegiate women’s basketball can and will get back to its championship ways.