Wes Moore and the Wolfpack Ready for Stanford Matchup

RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball gets back in action on New Year's Day, welcoming the Stanford Cardinal to Reynolds Coliseum for the third matchup of the ACC conference schedule. The Wolfpack (9-4, 2-0 ACC) already got things rolling in league play with a pair of wins, while Stanford only played one conference game before the holiday break.

Wes Moore's team looked like a different group over the last two weeks before Christmas, finding some rhythm on both ends. More confident versions of Zam Jones and Khamil Pierre began to complement Zoe Brooks well. However, Stanford will be a more challenging opponent for a number of reasons.

What NC State must expect from Stanford

In its second season under head coach Kate Paye, Stanford was picked to finish sixth in the ACC's preseason media poll, four spots behind the Wolfpack in second. The Cardinal is in the midst of an identity shift after the retirement of longtime coach Tara VanDerveer, who left before the program transitioned to the ACC. Paye's first season was a disappointment with the Cardinal finishing 16-15.

The 2025-26 season has been much different for Stanford. After losing by 14 to Moore's group a season ago at home, the Cardinal looks to be much more of a threat now. Junior forward Nunu Agara looks to be building on a strong sophomore season, averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds through the first 14 games of the year. She and Pierre will likely go head-to-head throughout much of Wednesday's matchup.

Indiana's Yarden Garzon (12) shoots over Stanford's Nunu Agara (3) during the Indiana versus Stanford women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stanford is a young group, similar to the Wolfpack. Paye's rotation includes a pair of talented freshmen, Hailee Swain and Lars Somfai, who were both selected for the ACC's preseason all-freshman team. Somfai brings some significant strength inside at 6-foot-3, leading the team with 9.6 rebounds per game.

NC State and Stanford shared a common opponent in Tennessee, with the Wolfpack taking down the Lady Vols and the Cardinal falling to the team from Knoxville. The Cardinal isn't far behind the Wolfpack in terms of scoring on a per-game basis, averaging 72.9 points to the Wolfpack's 76.7. If NC State is knocking shots down as it did against Miami and Georgia Tech, it could be a shootout in Raleigh.

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore reacts to a play against the Southern California Trojans during the second quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Starting 2026 with a win over a 12-win team would help Moore and the Wolfpack continue the already strong start to the ACC campaign. Stanford won't be a pushover, however, so the Pack will need to be closer to the version of itself in the two ACC games rather than the form it showed against Davidson just before the holiday.

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