One last hurrah: NC State women want toughness, joy to define NCAA Tournament performance

N.C. State’s home locker room felt light and relaxed Friday morning, filled with laughs and excitement, a far cry from the heartbreak that filled the one in Greensboro after its second-half collapse against Duke in the ACC Tournament title game two weeks ago.

The air surrounding the Wolfpack possessed the same energy as it did this time last year, when it lost to Notre Dame in the conference championship and pulled off multiple upsets en route to the Final Four. Not only does N.C. State want to reach the final weekend, it wants to get back to playing its brand of basketball.

To do that, it needs toughness, focus and fun.

That was the overarching quality that it lacked in its 76-62 loss to the Blue Devils. N.C. State led by as many as nine points in the first quarter; it took a seven-point advantage into the locker room. The Wolfpack did not bring the same energy to the court in the second half. Duke did. In the NCAA Tournament, that can’t happen.

“We had a big lead, and I think we just got too comfortable,” guard Zoe Brooks said about what the team learned after its loss. “Our shots stopped falling, and I think we kind of just gave in; just staying locked in no matter what, and playing hard to zero on the clock.”

The team says toughness is a mentality. At this point in the season, every player has been hurt. They’ve rolled ankles, tweaked knees, taken hard landings. Saniya Rivers has played through a cold or flu at least three times this season, including the ACC Tournament. Winning at this time of year, they said, comes down to who can push through the small aches and pains; who has a stronger will to win.

“It comes down to who’s going to work the hardest, who wants to gain the most,” guard Aziaha James said.

“I feel like we really want it,” Brooks added. “Obviously, we made it to the Final Four last year, so we have big expectations for this year, but people are also doubting us like they did last year. We’re just gonna play our game and go as far as we can go.”

Vermont is the first challenge awaiting the Wolfpack at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Reynolds Coliseum. Despite being the No. 15 seed, the Catamounts enter the game as the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, averaging 52.2 points per game this season and held opponents under 60 points in 17 of its last 20 games. In four of its last six games, Vermont did not allow more than 45 points.

The Catamounts have struggled at times to shoot — they average 61.1 points per game — but their defense has carried them to a 21-12 record.

History, at least the limited sample size, favors the Catamounts. UVM defeated N.C. State, 52-47, on Nov. 13, 2009, to win the only game in the series.

“I think they’re going to force us to work 40 minutes, the full game,” Rivers said. “Obviously, it’s March Madness. If you’re here, you’re here for a reason.”

Tilda Trygger, an All-ACC Freshman Team honoree, said the older players have taught her the kind of effort it takes to win on the collegiate level by setting examples in every facet of the game.

“It’s different from high school,” Trygger said. “It’s a totally different basketball and they show us toughness every day.”

Having time off between the ACC Championship and the NCAA Tournament helped the team significantly. The players needed time to rest, recover and get their minds off basketball for a few days.

The Wolfpack now feels prepared for what it hopes is three weekends of basketball. The roster is younger this season, but the freshmen have played in big environments before and they’ve taken notes all season. Playing in the ACC and three ranked opponents in the nonconference helped, too.

Thirteen out of 18 ACC teams limited opponents to 70 points or fewer this season. Duke and North Carolina allowed just over 58 points per game. Ole Miss, LSU and South Carolina also hold opponents under 70 points per game.

For a team with lofty goals, it’s difficult not to look ahead, Rivers admits, but N.C. State is really trying to look only at the matchup in front of it. No cockiness, no ego.

“You’ve got to take it one game at a time, because you can’t get to the next game until you win the first,” Rivers said. “It’s hard. Obviously, we want to get back there. We’re more than capable. We want the freshmen to experience it as well. We’ve been through it, I’ve been through it a couple times, obviously playing in South Carolina. It’s an experience, and I want everyone to be able to experience it. We definitely can, but one step at a time.”

N.C. State holds itself to high standards and knows tough play awaits, but it would like to have fun, too. The goal is to use its toughness to create highlight-worthy, entertaining plays on both ends of the floor. Plus, playing basketball in March is a privilege. Moore calls the NCAA Tournament “March Gladness,” after all.

“It’s still basketball. I don’t try to overstress it or whatever,” Moore said. “I had a question early this week when we did a press conference about the mental health and all that. We’ve got great resources for that. We’ve got plenty of people in sports psychologists, counselors, things like that, if that’s needed. But I want this to be a fun time. … It’s what you work for all year long. Let’s go out and enjoy it.”

This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 5:57 PM with the headline "One last hurrah: NC State women want toughness, joy to define NCAA Tournament performance."

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer