NC State Loses Key Player to Injury in NCAA Tournament Win

NC State women's basketball found itself in control in its first game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, leading No. 10 seed Tennessee by seven points in the third quarter. However, disaster struck when junior guard Zoe Brooks, a First-Team All-ACC player, went up for a floater and came down injured. Brooks never returned to the game, although the Wolfpack beat the Volunteers 76-61.

"It's a foot situation and I don't really know any more than that," Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said. "Obviously, she was in some pain, or I'm sure she would have been out there. Hopefully, we can get her back, but at this point, all I know it was a foot, which is better than a knee."

The impact of Brooks' injury

MOVING ON BABY!!!! https://t.co/yQXvTSI1zk pic.twitter.com/dZdDFRGpAg
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The Wolfpack dominated Tennessee in the early part of the game, even as Brooks dealt with foul trouble in most of the second quarter. When she departed with her injury after rolling around on the floor in obvious pain, the Wolfpack rose to the occasion rather than crumbled down the stretch. A 30-point effort from sophomore guard Zam Jones helped in that process.

"Zoe would have loved to be out there on the court, so just trying to get the win for her and understanding that it's bigger than ourselves and that we have a team full of ten girls and a whole staff, so we've got to do it for each other more than we do it for ourselves," junior forward Khamil Pierre said.

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Zoe Brooks (35) calls for a time out against the Southern California Trojans during the fourth quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Brooks came into the NCAA Tournament as the Wolfpack's second-leading scorer and one of the faces of the program in terms of leadership. She also possessed the most NCAA Tournament experience of anyone on the team, having played for Moore during the Wolfpack's run to the 2024 Final Four as a freshman.

Losing the talented guard for another game would be a massive blow, especially given the scoring power of No. 2 seed Michigan in its own building. Brooks' leadership and growth in that area have been a major part of any success NC State had during the regular season, making her invaluable even after Jones' emergence in the first round.

Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore on the sideline against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The freshness of Brooks' injury and the fact that he was trying to win a basketball game didn't allow Moore much time to process the loss of his guard, at least for the time being, nor was he able to see Brooks after the game.

"Again, they took her in when she got hurt. When I went out on the court, of course, she was trying to be tough and saying I'm okay, but then I didn't see her the rest of the game, so that's not good," he said. "But I've been told, again, it's a foot and they're trying to treat it as well as they can and we'll see. I have no idea how severe it is. But obviously, she's an important part of what we do. Hopefully, my Johnson Bible College education and my direct prayer line will come in handy tonight."