Areas of Need in Transfer Portal For NC State Women's Basketball

RALEIGH — The 2025-26 women's college basketball season ended on Sunday when UCLA walked away victorious over South Carolina in the National Championship game. Every other program already turned the page on the season, moving onto the first part of the 2026-27 campaign: the opening of the transfer portal on April 6.

NC State bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing year for head coach Wes Moore's standards. Now, the Wolfpack has already experienced a major loss to the portal in Zamareya Jones and will likely lose more players when the portal officially opens. That means Moore and his staff will have major areas of need to address with potential transfer targets. What are those areas?

More shooting and perimeter threats

With Jones on the way out, NC State is losing its best 3-point shooter from the 2025-26 roster. Qadence Samuels arrived from UConn expected to be a strong perimeter threat, but that never materialized with enough consistency. Samuels appears to be staying ahead of the portal opening, so the hope is that she improves his shooting consistency during the offseason.

However, there will still be a lack of perimeter threat on the roster with Jones gone. Zoe Brooks isn't an elite 3-point shooter, but could use some more options to kick the ball out to when she drives aggressively to the basket. Moore's best teams always had a selection of players capable of knocking down shots with consistency from beyond the arc. Replicating that formula will have the Pack back where it belongs at the top of the ACC.

Frontcourt depth

NC State coach Wes Moore gestures during a women's college basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the NC State Wolfpack at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. Oklahoma won 103-98. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NC State was restricted to just three contributing frontcourt players during the 2025-26 season: Khamil Pierre, Tilda Trygger and Maddie Cox. Two members of the roster have already left, with Lorena Awou departing during the season after a suspension and Mallory Collier opting for the transfer portal. There could be more losses coming, but Pierre remains a target for retention.

No matter who stays or goes, the Wolfpack has a definitive need for more help in the frontcourt. A defensive-focused big would be very helpful if Pierre sticks around, as she could slide back into a roving role as a defender without significant worry on the defensive end. That could help her take her production to another level. NC State already added Nigerian forward Favour Ossai Chinoye, a 6-foot-1 player who spent last season in the Japanese professional league. She won't be the last frontcourt add.