Wolfpack women ready for South Carolina in Final Four showdown

By Gianna Forbis, WRAL Sports contributor

North Carolina State women's basketball has punched their ticket to the Final Four for the second time in program history to play the No. 1 overall seed, the University of South Carolina.

When there is a will, there is a way – and the way to the Final Four for N.C. State started with a 76-66 beat down on the University of Texas last weekend.

Aziaha James led the team in scoring with 27 points, going 7 for 9 in three pointers – setting a new program record since Jan. 30, 2020.

River Baldwin scored 16 points, Saniya Rivers put up five assists, and Zoe Brooks had 10 points. With a plethora of players making baskets and scoring record breaking numbers from beyond the arc, they are coming into Cleveland with a new confidence.

"This is your dream as a player and as a coach. Every year you start the season with this goal in mind and only four teams make it. It [is] amazing. I'm so happy for our players to be able to experience this, and they've worked so hard," says N.C. State head coach Wes Moore.

The ticket was not always golden however. The Wolfpack women lost to the University of Notre Dame in the Ally ACC Tournament Final. Since then, N.C. State has steamrolled their way through March, creating madness against schools like Chattanooga, Kelly Harper's Tennessee, Stanford and Texas.

The Wolfpack knows the team they are up against however.

South Carolina is undefeated, and head coach Dawn Staley was voted coach of the year.

"I think this is the best team they've ever had. [Simply because] they have so many people that can score the ball. [They have a ton] of really good shooters," says Moore.

With "Why Not Both?" as the phrase North Carolina State fans are using to describe both men's and women's historical runs to the Final Four, Coach Moore continues to love the exctiement and strength in the pack.

It's been crowded and [with] them waiting for us at three o'clock in the morning, [it truly] means a lot to us" says Moore

The Wolfpack tip off against South Carolina in the Final Four on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH.