Why NC State Is Built for a Serious ACC Run
In this story:
RALEIGH — Throughout the offseason and during the non-conference portion of the schedule, NC State women's basketball coach Wes Moore blamed himself for making such a difficult slate of games before the Wolfpack reached ACC play. He joked after losses, while also explaining why he felt his very young team was falling behind schedule.
After the first three games of league play, NC State looks like a very different team compared to the one that struggled with four games against opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25. All of the self-deprecation and the concerns about the development of the young players seem to be things of the past, as the Wolfpack slowly built itself into what appears to be a juggernaut.
Watch Moore discuss the Wolfpack's latest victory, a 74-56 win over Stanford
Experiences benefit in the long run
The Wolfpack entered the 2025-26 season without a senior on the roster, forcing Moore to trust the development of younger players throughout the season rather than over the course of a few years. Thursday's win over Stanford showed that the trust in the process was a smart decision, as NC State's defense operated on another level over the last two weeks.
"We had a tough stretch, obviously," Moore said after the win. "Our schedule was brutal. We were on the road a lot. Now, I like where we're at. We've survived it, and just got to keep getting better every day. We still kind of have a young team... Keep getting better every day. If we do that, I like where we're headed."
Light work @zoebrooks35 🔥 https://t.co/JVApTx8nrP pic.twitter.com/DHtBHNnOtr
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026
For a player like Zoe Brooks, the adjustments were different. She had to learn what it's like to be the top offensive option on the team after playing behind cover from Saniya Rivers and others over her first two seasons in Raleigh. After scoring 18 points against the Cardinal, Brooks reflected on the start to the year and why she never lost hope for the season despite the four losses.
"I feel like last year we even started off pretty slow, had a couple losses early in the season," Brooks said. "I guess that kind of is how we start off this year, too, but we always pick it up... I think the emphasis moving forward is just keep defending, rebounding and, you know, shots will fall."
Ringing in the New Year with an ACC dub! 🥳🥳 pic.twitter.com/rRNWPFf2K0
— NC State Athletics (@PackAthletics) January 1, 2026
Moore added that he feels like the difficult schedule is just starting to pay off now, but the progress has been there all along. The Wolfpack just never put the pieces together against the best teams. Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre became a double-double machine. Tilda Trygger looks to be getting comfortable alongside her. Zam Jones and Brooks continue to wreak havoc on both ends.
While there's a long way to go, NC State is trending in the right direction. Now, it's about continuing to have momentum for a run through the ACC.
Want more NC State basketball content throughout the year? Follow @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker on X (Twitter) and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE
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.
Follow SennettTucker