The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527657
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ■ 41 he said. "We were very fortunate that our guards wanted to stay here at NC State, stay a part of our program. It's exciting to have that kind of talent." Sophomore Laci Steele is also back with the Pack after playing in 32 games last season. She will compete with a talented duo of freshmen for minutes. Brooks shouted out five-star point guard Zamareya Jones, who stayed in- state to play with the Pack and is already making a great impression after averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game as a senior at North Pitt High. "We have a lot of talent," Brooks said. "We added Z, so that helps us a lot. It's very scary. I think we're going to be a very exciting group and have the crowd ex- cited. I think this is going to be something that's unstoppable." Frontcourt Replacing Baldwin and Collins is a con- cern for Moore. The Wolfpack will likely need some underclassmen to step up in the frontcourt. NC State brought in graduate transfer Caitlin Weimar to help with that. As a senior at Boston University last season, Weimar averaged 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds while winning Patriot League Player of the Year honors. She was the Pack's only transfer addition this year, but a hip injury could potentially sideline her for a portion of the season. "Unfortunately, she has missed quite a bit," Moore said. "She has a hip situation, so medically, it's kept her from being out there much. At this point, we're waiting to see how we're going to address that and see if we can get her healthy." If her injury keeps the 6-foot-4 for- ward off the floor, NC State will have to rely on a group of talented freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore Mallory Collier spent last season learning from Collins and Bald- win. She played in 22 games in her debut campaign, averaging 2 points and 1.8 re- bounds per game. "I feel confident, and I feel like I'm ready to play and just learn more about myself within the game," Collier said. Sophomore Maddie Cox played the most consistent role of any of the reserve frontcourt players last year. She saw the floor in all five of NC State's NCAA Tour- nament games, averaging 9.4 minutes per contest during her freshman sea- son. Moore views her ability to stretch the floor and defend as key assets to this year's team. Graduate Lizzy Williamson, a 6-5 cen- ter, transferred from Southern Utah and played in 19 games for the Pack last year. She's back for another season and is the team's only other returning post player. After that trio, NC State signed two freshmen who could contribute. Lorena Awou, a 6-5 center, did not draw much national acclaim in the recruiting rank- ings but held an offer list that also in- cluded Michigan, Kentucky and Miami. "She's strong enough inside to really be able to bury a defense and then fin- ish the shot," Moore said. "When you add that strength along with the ability to run the floor, I'm really excited about Lorena." Tilda Trygger fills out the Pack front- court. The 6-foot-6 freshman from Sweden was not a ranked recruit, but there's plenty of excitement about her potential. She plays like a guard, han- dling the ball and stretching her range out to the three-point line. "She loves the game," Moore said. "I think she, too, is going to be somebody that we can get some production out of her freshman year." ■ NC State Women's Basketball Roster No. Name Ht. Pos. Year Hometown 0 Devyn Quigley 5-11 G Fr. Manchester, N.J. Averaged 32.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.9 steals per game as a senior at Manchester Township and was the No. 50 player in the 2024 class, per ESPN HoopGurlz. 1 Lorena Awou 6-5 C Fr. East Moline, Ill. Was the No. 5 player in Illinois according to the Prep Girls Hoop Rankings following a senior year in which she averaged 18.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. 3 Zamareya Jones 5-7 G Fr. Bethel, N.C. Was a McDonald's All-American and the No. 21 player in the 2024 class, per ESPN HoopGurlz, after averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.2 steals in helping lead North Pitt to a Class 2A state championship. 10 Aziaha James 5-9 G Sr. Virginia Beach, Va. Averaged a team-leading 16.8 points, while adding 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game as a junior and earning first-team All-ACC honors. 11 Maddie Cox 6-2 F So. Flower Mound, Texas Averaged 9.4 minutes per game in her first season with the Wolfpack, including one start (Old Dominion). 12 Caitlin Weimar 6-4 F Gr. Cortland Manor, N.Y. Averaged 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds as a senior at Boston University, winning Patriot League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors before transferring to NC State this past summer. 15 Lizzy Williamson 6-5 C Gr. Adelaide, Australia Saw action in 19 games in her first season at NC State after transferring from Southern Utah, averaging 4.9 minutes per game. 18 Tilda Trygger 6-6 F Fr. Stockholm, Sweden Averaged a tournament-leading 10.4 rebounds in six games at the 2024 FIBA U20 European Championship, while also adding 10.9 points per contest. 21 Madison Hayes 6-0 G Gr. Chattanooga, Tenn. One of only two players to start all 38 games last year, Hayes averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists, topping the team with a 40.3 percent three-point shooting rate. 22 Saniya Rivers 6-1 G Sr. Wilmington, N.C. Was an honorable mention Associated Press All-American and a first-team All-ACC choice after averaging 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals as a junior. 24 Laci Steele 5-11 G So. Edmond, Okla. Came off the bench to play in 32 games as a true freshman, averaging 3.4 points in 11.8 minutes per contest. 35 Zoe Brooks 5-10 G So. Plainfield, N.J. Named to the ACC All-Freshman team after a debut season in which she played in all 38 games and made seven starts, averaging 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. 42 Mallory Collier 6-3 C So. Millington, Tenn. Averaged 6.3 minutes while seeing action in 22 games as a freshman; scored a career-best 10 points against Cincinnati.