NC State Women's Basketball Learns NCAA Tournament Seed

RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball is back in the Big Dance, as Wes Moore and the Wolfpack learned their status as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. After bowing out of the ACC Tournament in the quarterfinal, the Pack waited around for more than a week to find it was a seven-seed bound for Ann Arbor, Mich.

As for the matchup, Moore will need to get his team ready for the opponent it started the season against, as the Wolfpack is set to face 10-seed Tennessee in the Round of 64. With a win, NC State would face No. 2 seed Michigan, the host of their section of the bracket.

Hopes for the Wolfpack in March?

Zam Jone — Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Zamareya Jones (3) drives to the basket against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After the Notre Dame loss, Moore took it upon himself to turn things around before March Madness got underway. He was dejected as he'd been all season long, but didn't completely lose hope for a run through the tournament once the path was laid out. The Wolfpack is just two seasons removed from a run to the Final Four, after all.

"I've got to look in the mirror," Moore said. "I've got to do a better job of getting the team prepared and demanding effort and competitiveness. Tip your hat, Two times in a row here, they've come out and just jumped on us and now we've got to try to figure out before the NCAA Tournament and try to get things fixed."

The Path

Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Devyn Quigley (0) grabs a rebound past Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Vanessa de Jesus (2) in the fourth quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Pack's path through the NCAA Tournament won't be an easy one, although the familiarity of the Tennessee matchup will help. NC State outlasted Tennessee in an 80-77 showdown in Greensboro, N.C., which opened the 2025-26 season. It marked the start of a dominant season for junior forward Khamil Pierre and junior guard Zoe Brooks, who both earned First-Team All-ACC honors.

Round and Date	Matchups
Round of 64 - March 20, 2026 - Ann Arbor, Mich.	No. 10 Tennessee
Round of 32 - March 22, 2026 - Ann Arbor, Mich.	Winner of No. 2 Michigan and No. 15 Holy Cross

NC State struggled mightily against the top-tier teams it faced throughout the 2025-26 season, with the win over Tennessee representing the lone ranked victory of the entire year. Still, it remained competitive with some of the best programs in the country and came up painfully short. Flip a couple of those results and it's a very different outlook for the Pack heading into the NCAA Tournament.

NC State women's basketbal — Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack mascot Ms. Wuf on the court against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the third quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After finishing the 20-10 overall, Moore will try to lead his team back to the Sweet 16 at least for a third-straight season, but it will be easier said than done. It all starts on Friday in Ann Arbor.