Wes Moore Ends Season With Frustration, Hunger for More

Wes Moore finished his 13th season as the head coach of NC State women's basketball with what he called a disappointing loss to No. 2 seed Michigan in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack hung with the Wolverines on their home court for a half, but got blitzed in the third quarter, ending an up-and-down season with a blowout loss.

The veteran coach seemed hungry for the next season to start after the disappointing results that filled his team's schedule throughout the 2025-26 campaign. He held concerns before the season even started about his team's relative youth and inexperience compared to his groups in the past and many of those concerns proved to be true. Still, Moore didn't want to make excuses. He wanted to make changes.

No moral victories

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 fourth quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack's chances for an upset took a major blow when junior guard Zoe Brooks was ruled out for the game Sunday morning after she left her team's first-round victory over Tennessee with a foot injury. Her absence had a major effect on NC State, as Moore was forced to start freshman guard Ky'She Lunan in her place. Lunan struggled to defend without fouling and control the ball in the elevated role.

"I thought we did a great job in the first half, hanging in there," Moore said. "Ky'She, again, it's tough when you've got Zoe out, and I was concerned going into the game with Destiny getting in foul trouble. She's an aggressive defender, and I've seen her pick up fouls. Definitely going into the game, I was concerned about it."

Devyn Quigley and Wes Moor — Mar 9, 2025; Greensboro, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore talks with NC State Wolfpack guard Devyn Quigley (0) during the fourth quarter against Duke Blue Devils at First Horizon Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Brooks' absence placed tremendous pressure on sophomore guard Zamareya Jones, too, as she was forced to play all 40 minutes of the loss. Michigan's unique defense, which involved picking up full-court, made things even harder for Jones, who battled to the tune of 16 points, nine assists and seven turnovers.

"Against their press, you needed two really good ball handlers because they can trap one and make somebody handle it that doesn't really want to handle it, maybe," Moore said.

All season long, Moore bemoaned the youth and inexperience of his group, which didn't include a single senior player. Brooks was the most experienced member of the Wolfpack, having been a freshman during the team's run to the 2024 Final Four. Like most college coaches, Moore was left more frustrated than looking for moral victories after his season came to an end.

"It's no fun. As a coach, I feel like I've let my university down and let our fans down and let our players down. No, it's been a rough year," Moore said. "A lot of people, you win 21 games and finish top four in the ACC, that's a good year. 6 out of the last 7 years, we finished in the top ten in the country. So this is hard to swallow."

While that frustration will sting for a week or two, the nature of college athletics in 2026 is one of rapid transition. Moore and his staff will need to get right back to work on preparing for the coming season. The hurt from Sunday's loss already sounded like it fueled Moore for a turnaround.

"We've got to take a real hard look at... Again, I'll take all the blame," he said. "I put the team together, and I coached the team. I've got to look in the mirror, we've got to look in the mirror as a program, and we've got to try to get back to what we do."