Key Retention Targets For NC State Women's Basketball

RALEIGH — When the final buzzer sounded in the Crisler Center on Sunday, NC State's season came to a disappointing end, as the Wolfpack fell in a 92-63 blowout to No. 2 seed Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For head coach Wes Moore, it marked the bitter end of a year loaded with ups and downs. Now, the attention turns to the 2026-27 season.

In a rapidly changing college basketball landscape, roster retention is becoming increasingly crucial each year. NC State won't be an exception, especially considering the team did not have a single senior on the roster. If Moore and his staff play their cards right, they could bring back most of the key production from the 2025-26 season. Who are the key pieces?

Junior guard Zoe Brooks

After missing the second round loss in the NCAA Tournament with an injury suffered in the team's win over Tennessee, Zoe Brooks might be hungrier than ever. Her junior season saw tremendous growth in her new role as the team's alpha after spending her first two years playing alongside other talented leaders. It wasn't all easy, but Moore rode it out with his star guard, who finished the year scoring 16 points per game.

As one half of NC State's fiery, undersized backcourt duo, Brooks brings a tremendous handle and nose for the basket on the offensive end that her team sorely missed as she could only watch from the bench. It seems likely Brooks returns to run it back one last time under Moore for her senior season, as they both yearn for a trip back to the Final Four like the one in her freshman year.

Sophomore guard Zamareya Jones

Zam Jones marked the other half of the backcourt tandem that helped carry NC State to the NCAA Tournament in 2026, building on a quality freshman season and turning into one of the more productive offensive players on the team. Jones finished her second year averaging 14.9 points and 3.8 assists, while also proving herself as one of the group's stronger defensive options despite her size.

The Greenville, N.C. native plays with an intensity and sense of chaos that not many players in the sport can replicate. If she continues to develop as a true point guard, she would play an even larger role in her junior season, should she stick around with the program.

Junior forward Khamil Pierre

It took Khamil Pierre some time to get settled in with the Wolfpack after transferring over from Vanderbilt rather late in the process. However, she turned into the team's most productive post player as a double-double machine during her first year with the program. NC State offered her a chance to play competitive basketball and to fall in love with the game again.

After she averaged 16.7 points and 11.9 rebounds during the 2025-26 season, Pierre will be a retention priority for Moore and NC State.