How the Wolfpack Underwent a Midseason Defensive Makeover
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RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball started 2026 with one of its best wins of the season, dismantling a two-loss Stanford team 74-46 in Reynolds Coliseum to continue a perfect start through conference play. The win marked one of the Wolfpack's best efforts on the defensive end.
Coach Wes Moore's group looked like a different group defensively throughout December after experiencing some growing pains during the non-conference slate. Since the overtime loss to Oklahoma, NC State hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than 61 points, suffocating the competition with more urgency and effort on that end of the court.
What is going right for the Wolfpack now?
The Stanford win was a new high for the Wolfpack defense. The Cardinal was completely flustered by the frantic half-court looks Moore's group threw in its direction. An increased emphasis on physicality and attention to detail helped the Wolfpack limit the Cardinal to just 18 field goal makes, shooting an abysmal 30% from the field and 17% from 3-point range. For Moore, it's progress, but the team hasn't peaked.
"They've done a pretty good job on the scout," Moore said. "I still have higher expectations. I want them watching film two or three hours every night instead of TV and pouring over their scouting report all the time, but I think they've done a better job of taking away people's strengths and that sort of thing and that's what it takes."
19-2 run in the fourth so far 🤪
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026
70-39 Pack with 2:49 to play pic.twitter.com/ykJB8wkZYu
The Wolfpack entered the season as a young, relatively inexperienced group outside of a handful of players. Moore wasted no time getting them experience against top competition, facing four teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 over the first two months of the 2025-26 campaign, plus an exhibition game against Maryland, which is ranked in the top 10.
"I've kind of kicked myself a little bit for making them go through that, but hopefully we're reaping the benefits of it a little bit now," Moore said. "I'm proud of the way they're going, but you've got to continue to head down that road, so hopefully we can."
Statistically, the improvement from the beginning of the season is night and day. NC State held opponents under 10 points in a quarter in each of the last five games, all wins. The most recent chapter was holding the Cardinal to just nine in the fourth quarter, as Stanford made just three field goals and two free throws. For the players, the defense is where everything positive starts.
"The defense has really taken off for us," junior guard Zoe Brooks said. "It really is standing out for us and I think it also helps give us momentum on offense. When we get stops on defense, it just helps us get on the break more and have more easy opportunities to score... It also makes (Moore) more happy."
FIRE US UP Q pic.twitter.com/v68MdB9rjk
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026
The Wolfpack forced 21 turnovers against Stanford, an area that usually signals success for the team during the 2025-26 season. When NC State forces more turnovers than it finishes with, the team is 6-1, with the Stanford win adding to that record. As Brooks said, the ability to get out and run makes the offense run more harmoniously. When the Wolfpack finishes with more points off turnovers than the opposition, the team is 7-1.
"I think it really just is effort and we have to want to play defense and stop them from scoring," Brooks said. "Coach Moore obviously can only coach us so much on defense, but we have to have heart and take responsibility in it."
.@destiny_kyshe SAYS NOPE 😤 pic.twitter.com/y1fsukHyI7
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026
With the learning experiences of the non-conference portion of the schedule now in Moore's back pocket, he used the strengths and weaknesses of the group to help remake the defense in time for ACC play. While it's not a total reset for the Wolfpack, it's allowed players like Tilda Trygger and Brooks to approach games with a different perspective than they had before.
"It's like a fresh start. We have a lot of opportunities," Trygger said. "Going into ACC play, we knew that we've got to keep stacking wins and I feel like we've been doing that and the energy has been great going into these games."
NC State will try to maintain the strong defensive improvements in Sunday's matchup against Cal.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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