The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534227
MAY/JUNE 2025 ■ 31 BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN hey walked into the post- game interview room in the bowels of Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena with grins and laughs. If it weren't for the dried tears on their cheeks glistening in the lights, it would have been hard to know NC State's season had just come to a close. After third-seeded LSU handed the second-seeded Wolfpack an 80-73 loss in the Sweet 16 on March 28 in Spokane, Wash., NC State's veteran leaders — Azi- aha James, Madison Hayes and Saniya Rivers — carried themselves with class. Their collegiate careers ended more than 2,100 miles away from Reynolds Col- iseum, but they seemed upbeat while coming to grips with the finality of their last college game. The team's culture — that trio's bond, specifically — was on full display. The Wo l f p a c k , w h i c h started the year 4-3 before winning 24 of its final 28 games, was a tight-knit bunch that leaned on its veterans, while also relying on the underclassmen for a jolt of energy. For James, who was the only NC State senior to spend all four years in Raleigh, the Pack's family dynamic made the real- ity of her final game easier to take. LSU had put together a 10-0 run to end the contest, overcoming a 73-70 NC State lead with two minutes remaining, but James, fellow senior Rivers and grad stu- dent Hayes didn't want those last 120 seconds to define the season. Instead, they found solace in an ACC regular- season title and the program's third-ever undefeated home slate. "No matter if we lose or win, we're still sticking together," said James, seated next to Hayes, Rivers and coach Wes Moore at the postgame news confer- ence. "That loss hurt. It doesn't mat- ter. It doesn't define us. It doesn't de- fine our season. We worked so hard since the summer, and a loss — it doesn't take away what we did all year." A Rare Sight NC State endured its share of ad- versity during the 2024-25 campaign, starting with the loss of the team's only offseason transfer. Forward Caitlin Wei- mar, formerly of Boston University, suf- fered a hip injury before the season and underwent surgery last fall. She left the team without ever having suited up, but that didn't derail the Pack's season. In- stead, its three veteran stalwarts took control with their vocal leadership in the locker room and on the floor. NC State went on to host NCAA Tournament games for the sixth time in the past seven tourneys, while it ad- vanced to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in eight years. Hayes, James and Rivers were in- strumental in the sprint to the tourna- ment's second weekend, but their im- pact went far beyond the seven-point loss to LSU. The trio, who spent three seasons together in Raleigh, went 47-4 at home, including wins over then-No. 1 Notre Dame and then-No. 2 Connecti- cut in the past two campaigns. They also helped engineer the Pack's run to the Final Four last year, the program's second-ever trip to college basketball's last weekend. And they did it without ever think- ing they'd be together right out of high school. Hayes went to Mississippi State for her freshman year before transferring to NC State, while Rivers won a national championship at South Carolina and arrived in Raleigh the following year. James was the unique one of the bunch, a four-year player who waited her turn within the program. It's a rare sight in this era of college athletics, where ros- ter movement seems to be second nature. James, a Virginia Beach, Va., native, stuck it out after averaging only 9.5 minutes her freshman year and developed into a two-time first-team All-ACC selection and an honorable mention All-American. "I wouldn't pick any group of girls to play with or another coach to play with," James said. "I'm glad I stayed here for all four years. I'm glad I grew as a person, as a woman." Hayes and Rivers were transplants who ended up playing integral roles in the Pack's success the past three years. THE END OF AN ERA Veterans Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes Bid A Fond Farewell To NC State T " I wouldn't pick any group of girls to play with or another coach to play with. I'm glad I stayed here for all four years. I'm glad I grew as a person, as a woman." Senior Guard Aziaha James