Wolfpack’s Final Home Game Carries Double-Bye Stakes

RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball crossed the other side of a three-week gauntlet in which it faced some of the best teams in the ACC all in a row, maintaining a position high enough in the standings to stay in the hunt for a top-four finish in the standings. To secure that all-important double-bye in the ACC Tournament, the Pack needs wins in its final two games.

The first of those two matchups for NC State (18-9, 11-5 ACC) arrives on Thursday, as the Wolfpack hosts Wake Forest (14-14, 4-12 ACC), one of the worst teams in the league. Wes Moore and his team already knocked off the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C., in January, but will need to do so again to set up another must-win game in the regular season finale.

What to expect from Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons, led by coach Megan Gebbia, came into the season with the lowest possible expectations. Wake Forest was picked to finish last in the ACC preseason media poll back in October and has hovered just around the cut-line to make the conference tournament, as the bottom three programs won't be invited for the event in Duluth, Ga.

In the first matchup against the Wolfpack, Wake Forest held a six-point advantage when the halftime horn sounded. Strong 3-point shooting from Mary Carter and Aurora Sorbye helped the Deacs in an upset bid against NC State, but they crumbled in the second half as Khamil Pierre and Zam Jones combined for 46 points of their own. It's unlikely NC State allows a similar shooting performance in the second matchup against Wake Forest.

How the Wolfpack can attack Wake Forest

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Tilda Trygger (18) looks to the basket 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

Ball movement and size are the name of the game for NC State women's basketball. When the Wolfpack guards are able to throw the ball into Tilda Trygger and Pierre in the post with success, the offense tends to hum more. That turns into wins for the Wolfpack, as Moore has tracked the team's wins with the assist totals it puts out from game-to-game.

The final two games for the Pack come against some of the dregs of the ACC. The room for error is gone if Moore's group wants to make a run through the ACC Tournament, a process made far easier if the Wolfpack can earn a double-bye to the quarterfinal round. As long as the Wolfpack plays closer to its ceiling than its floor, Thursday shouldn't be very competitive.

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