COLUMN: NC State women’s basketball is built to exceed last season’s highs

It’s challenging to envision NC State women’s basketball being better than it was last season. With guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers running the Wolfpack offense, the red-and-white was a nightly juggernaut, disposing of ACC opponents with ease.

Yet head coach Wes Moore has assembled a team talented enough to win the ACC and surpass the success of last year’s squad. While James and Rivers have moved on to the professional level, the Pack still remains a force to be reckoned with.

The optimism for this year’s squad begins with junior forward Khamil Pierre, a transfer from Vanderbilt who was one of the best players in the SEC last year. Among all SEC players last season, Pierre ranked second in steals per game, third in rebounds per game and fourth in points per game. Additionally, her efficiency, shooting 49.8% from the field, makes her a natural star for the Wolfpack. While the Wolfpack is losing two elite scorers in the backcourt, it added one in the frontcourt.

Returning for NC State is junior guard Zoe Brooks, set to take the lead in NC State’s backcourt. Brooks can score at all three levels, forcing defenses to gameplan around her and opening up space for others. With defenses shifting their focus to stopping her, rather than players like James and Rivers, watch for Brooks to elevate her game as a playmaker. With Pierre in Raleigh, the potential for a dangerous pick-and-roll between Brooks and the Vanderbilt transfer is something to watch for.

While Pierre and Brooks are already established stars, there’s a third name that has plenty of breakout potential this season — sophomore forward Tilda Trygger. The Swedish sensation posted an impressive freshman campaign with 22 blocks and 166 rebounds, good for the eighth and 11th best totals for an NC State freshman in program history. Offensively, Trygger is an efficient scorer who can already stretch the floor. With an improved outside shot, Trygger can go from an important contributor to a true star.

Last season’s squad was one of the more accomplished in program history. The Pack came up just shy of an ACC conference tournament title, falling to Duke in the ACC Championship and making a run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. However, this year’s squad has the talent to surpass that. With potential stars at guard, wing and center, stopping the Pack will be challenging for almost any team. The combination of efficient scoring and Moore’s consistently relentless defense gives the Wolfpack an identity to carry throughout the year.

To contend for the ACC, the Wolfpack will have to deal with two familiar foes in Duke and North Carolina. All three triangle teams are ranked in the top 11 of the preseason AP poll with ambitions of making the Final Four. The Pack held its own against both squads with a 2-2 record versus the two last season, but fell to Duke in the ACC championship, largely due to a poor performance on the boards. After a year of getting stronger and more experienced, expect Trygger to dominate in that department this year, while the addition of Pierre further addresses rebounding concerns.

In the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack’s chances are more volatile given the unpredictable nature of it. Head coach Wes Moore has consistently proven to be a success in the dance, with a Sweet Sixteen appearance in six of the last eight seasons — only missing it in 2020 when the NCAA Tournament was canceled and 2022 during a rebuilding year when the Pack fell in the first round.

Exceeding the Sweet Sixteen will once again come down to the Wolfpack doing what Moore often harps on — rebounding and defense.

Once again, Pierre is key here as she gives the Wolfpack a rare talent at the four. Teams cannot bully NC State in the paint this year; rather, the Wolfpack will be the bully in the paint.

The stage is set for NC State women’s basketball. The roster is impressive, and the coaching will be elite as usual. All that’s left is for the Wolfpack to earn the accomplishments it’s capable of — an ACC Title and a Final Four appearance.