Time for NC State to Get Over the Hump
As the brackets were unveiled on Selection Sunday, the NC State Wolfpack women’s basketball team stands at a crossroads. With a 20-10 overall record and a solid 13-5 mark in the ACC, earning them a No. 7 seed in the Fort Worth Regional, the Wolfpack have shown flashes of brilliance. Yet, their 1-6 record against AP-ranked teams this season looms large, a statistic that underscores a persistent challenge: closing out against elite competition. Four of those losses came in overtime or by a single possession, highlighting just how tantalizingly close NC State has been to turning the tide. In a tournament brimming with ranked powerhouses, now is the moment for Coach Wes Moore’s squad to finally get over the hump and make a statement run.
The Frustrating Narrative of Near-Misses
This season has been a tale of what-ifs for NC State. Their lone victory against a ranked opponent provided early optimism, but the losses sting with their razor-thin margins. Take the overtime heartbreaker against No. 9 Oklahoma, where the Wolfpack fell 103-98 in a high-scoring thriller that showcased their offensive firepower but exposed defensive lapses in extra time. Similarly, a grueling OT defeat to No. 9 Louisville (88-80) and one-possession setbacks like the 69-68 nail-biter to No. 18 USC and 61-59 squeaker against No. 25 North Carolina reveal a team that’s competitive but hasn’t quite mastered the art of sealing the deal.
These close calls aren’t anomalies; they’re symptomatic of a young roster learning to thrive under pressure. Without seniors to lean on, NC State relies on underclassmen like junior guard Zoe Brooks (16.5 PPG, 4.3 APG), whose playmaking has been a bright spot, and forward Khamil Pierre (16.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG at 52.3% FG), who dominates the glass and provides interior stability. Guard Zam Jones adds perimeter shooting depth, helping the Wolfpack rank among the ACC’s best in balanced scoring. But in those pivotal moments against top-tier foes, small execution errors—turnovers, missed free throws, or rebounding slips—have proven costly.
Coach Moore, in his 13th season, has built a program with a history of March success, including multiple Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight run, and a Final Four in recent years. Yet, the ACC’s grueling schedule, where NC State finished fourth, has prepared them for the tournament’s intensity. After the Wolfpack’s 83-65 loss at No. 9 Duke on February 19, Moore emphasized the need for more intensity, stating, “Our whole team can play harder.”
The sentiment carried into the ACC Tournament, where NC State suffered a lopsided quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame on March 6. Moore took accountability in his postgame remarks: “Just got our butts kicked. Played them twice in the last two weeks, and they’re good. They play hard. They’re tough. Again, I’ve got to look in the mirror. I’ve got to do a better job of getting the team prepared and demanding effort and competitiveness. But yeah, tip your hat. Like I said, two times in a row here, they’ve come out and just jumped on us. Now we’ve got to try to figure it out before the NCAA Tournament and try to get things fixed.”
A Bracket Primed for Breakthrough
The NCAA Tournament is full of ranked teams—twenty-five teams in the field boasts AP credentials—but NC State’s draw offers a realistic path to redemption. They open against unranked 10-seed Tennessee on March 20 in Ann Arbor, a rematch of their season-opening 80-77 win over the Lady Vols, who enter on a seven-game losing streak that has them finishing the year at 16-13. NC State’s familiarity, combined with Tennessee’s inconsistencies, positions them well to advance.
A second-round clash with No. 2 Michigan awaits, a road test against a high-seeded host. But the Wolfpack’s rebounding edge (43.1 RPG) and ability to force turnovers could exploit Michigan’s vulnerabilities, like their 14.9 turnovers per game and subpar 67.9% free-throw shooting. Upsetting the Wolverines would not only erase doubts but propel NC State into the Sweet 16, where they’d likely face No. 3 Louisville or No. 6 Alabama—a matchup against Louisville would revisit their OT near-miss, while NC State has the tools to handle Alabama’s style despite not facing them this season.
The upper half of the bracket teems with threats like No. 1 Texas, No. 4 West Virginia, and No. 5 Kentucky, but potential upsets could create openings. Avoiding Texas until the Elite Eight gives NC State breathing room to build momentum, aligning with their late-season three-game win streak before the ACC Tournament stumble.
Why Now Is the Time
The NCAA Tournament’s single-elimination format rewards teams that peak at the right moment, and NC State’s profile screams “dark horse.” Their defensive grit, forged in the ACC, ranks them highly in forcing turnovers, while their offense can erupt from multiple sources. Those four near-misses against ranked foes? They’re proof the Wolfpack belong in the conversation—they’re not getting blown out; they’re knocking on the door.
In a field where parity reigns and upsets abound, NC State’s youth could be an asset: unburdened by past failures, hungry for glory. As the Pack heads into March, the message is clear: the hump has been eyed long enough. With the tools, the draw, and the lessons from those agonizing defeats, 2026 could be the year NC State finally leaps over it and into the national spotlight once again. Raleigh, get ready—the Wolfpack are howling for more.
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