The Importance of Week 15 For NC State Women's Basketball
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RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball and coach Wes Moore find themselves at a bit of a crossroads in the 2026 season. The Wolfpack is 17-8 overall and 10-4 in conference play, losing to two of the teams ahead in the standings. That makes the final weeks of the season even more critical as the program can't afford any more slips if there are still hopes of competing for an ACC title.
Questions about the team's ability to compete against other high-level opponents are fair, as the Wolfpack has come up short time and time again when facing ranked competition. Two massive opportunities to change that tune are directly in front of Moore's team, starting with a short road trip to face the surging Duke Blue Devils, now ranked No. 9 in the country.
Why is the week so important?
It starts with Duke. NC State currently holds a 1-5 record against ranked opponents, with the lone victory coming in the season opener against Tennessee. Duke experienced similar early-season growing pains when compared to the Wolfpack, but has surged since the start of conference play, holding a perfect 14-0 record against other ACC foes.
If the Wolfpack were to go to Durham and play a perfect game, knocking off the ninth-ranked Blue Devils, it would go a long way in improving the national reputation and outlook with just a couple of weeks before the NCAA Tournament Selection Show. That is a task easier said than done, as Duke is a near-perfect 10-1 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
NC State still appears to be comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field, with ESPN's latest bracketology update placing Moore's team as a six-seed bound for Iowa City. The disappointing loss to Notre Dame likely ended any slim margin of hope that the Wolfpack could surge late in the conference season and host a first and second round session, but it's not impossible.
A march to such a scenario would be bolstered by a massive win on Thursday in primetime against the Blue Devils. From there, the road won't get any easier. NC State is set to host a talented Syracuse Orange squad back in Raleigh. The Orange have a one-game advantage in the win column as of Tuesday and currently sit in third place in the ACC standings. While UNC is between the Wolfpack and the Orange, a win would put Moore's team firmly back in the mix for a top-four finish in the ACC.
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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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