The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ■ 37 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL ziaha James took NC State to nearly unprec- e d e n te d h e i g h ts l a s t season. Heading into her senior season, she's determined to keep the Pack among college bas- ketball's elite. The veteran guard doesn't care where the program is ranked to start this year. NC State was left out of the preseason Associated Press poll last year before reaching the second Final Four in pro- gram history in April. James even noted that, in NCAA Tour- nament games after the round of 64, her team was usually considered the under- dog. That's a men- tality she loves to embrace. During her junior season, James aver- aged 16.8 points per game to lead NC State. In the NCAA Tournament, that average ticked up to 23.4 points. James s a i d t h e d o u b t around the Wolf- pack lit a fire under that team. She has been surpassing ex- ternal expectations long before her time with the Pack. "I'm from Virginia Beach, and you don't really hear too many players coming out of my city or even some- times my state," James said. "I always was an underdog, and I love being an underdog. I love when people doubt me, and then I can prove them wrong." T h e 5 - f o o t - 9 guard dominated March Madness for the Pack, received plenty of postsea- son accolades and is a preseason All-America candidate this year. And yet, nothing from last season's run matters for the upcoming campaign, the guard explained. She called back to two years ago. Com- ing off an Elite Eight run, NC State was a preseason top-10 team with plenty of high expectations that the squad failed to meet. James was a part of that team. Now, she's ready to help the program chart a different course during her final season in Raleigh. "I feel like we're really starting to lock in," James said. "We all know, as a team, what we did last year doesn't mean any- thing for this upcoming year." 'Proud And Thankful' In the age of the transfer portal, James' patience was an anomaly. She emerged as a playmaker when she started the final six games of her sopho- more season after injuries piled up for the Pack. During the team's Elite Eight run the year before, she had played 9.6 min- utes per game in what ended up being a pivotal season for the program. "I'm proud of her and thankful that she came back her sophomore year and was ready to try to make more of an impact," head coach Wes Moore said. "She earned it." NC State fell short of winning its fourth ACC Tournament championship in a row in 2023. The Wolfpack then bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a 64-63 loss to Princeton in the first round. James was one of five players to stick with the Pack afterward. Over the next year, she established herself as one of the ACC's top guards. She led NC State to a Final Four appearance behind explo- sive scoring performances when the team needed her most. When she watched most of the Wolf- pack's roster depart almost 18 months ago, James didn't worry about what any- one else was doing. She wanted to show loyalty to her remaining teammates, the coaching staff and NC State's fan base when she returned for a third season in Raleigh. Ultimately, the path she chose would lead her to a first-team All-ACC season and the Pack's first appearance since 1998 in the national semifinal game. "I wanted my own journey," James said, "and I knew that what Coach Moore had in store for me would be great." 'He Expects A Lot Of Me' James' relationship with her head coach has grown quite strong over the years. She views him as an- other father now. Moore, who is preparing for season No. 12 in Raleigh, joked that these days, the prevalence of transfers means that if a staff devel- ops a player for one year, it might simply be putting in work for someone else's benefit. " T h a t 's s a d ," Moore said. Moore pointed out that players must make a significant leap to go from star- ring at the high school level to playing as college freshmen. James appeared in 25 games during her debut season with the Pack. She scored more than 20 points twice, offering glimpses of the potential that she would soon realize. Looking back on that year, James can see why she did not receive the kind of playing time she had been hoping for. She saw much more action in the years that followed, however, and she knows that her status as a veteran means that Moore will be counting on her to lead. "I'm a senior this year, so he expects a lot out of me, just making right choices," James said. "Freshman year, I wasn't making too many good choices to put me on the floor." " I wanted my own journey, and I knew that what Coach Moore had in store for me would be great. James STAYING POWER Standout Senior Guard Aziaha James Sees Her Perseverance Rewarded A