‘I love these girls’: NC State’s star-studded senior trio bids farewell after Sweet 16 loss to LSU

SPOKANE, Wash. — They walked into the postgame interview room in the bowls 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 came to a close. 

But after third-seeded LSU handed the second-seeded Wolfpack an 80-73 loss in the Sweet 16 on Friday night, NC State’s seniors — Aziaha James, Madison Hayes and Saniya Rivers — carried themselves with class. Their collegiate careers ended more than 2,100 miles away from Reynolds Coliseum, but they seemed upbeat in coming to grips with the agony of defeat. 

Why? The team’s culture — that trio’s bond, specifically — was on full display. The Wolfpack, which started the year 4-3 before winning 24 of its final 28 games, is a tight-knit bunch that leans on its veterans, while the budding underclassmen provide plenty of energy. 

For James, who was the only NC State senior to spend all four years in Raleigh, the Pack’s family dynamic inside its locker room made the reality of her final game easier to take. It wasn’t a performance, which included an LSU 10-0 run to close the game, that she or the rest of the seniors wanted to define the season. 

Instead, finding peace in an ACC regular season title and the program’s third-ever undefeated home slate was enough to bring joy in a solemn time.

“It says the strength we have, no matter if we lose or win, we’re still sticking together,” James said of the smiles that all three displayed on the podium, sitting to the right of Pack coach Wes Moore. “That loss hurt. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t define us, it doesn’t define our season. We worked so hard since the summer and just because of a loss, it doesn’t take away what we did all year.”

NC State’s 2024-25 campaign was littered with adversity, starting with Boston University forward Caitlin Weimar suffering a season-ending injury in the preseason. But that didn’t seem to derail the Pack’s season. Instead, its three seniors took control of the team with their vocal leadership in the locker room and on the floor. 

That resulted in the team’s sixth time hosting the NCAA Tournament in the last seven tournaments, while it advanced to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last eight years. 

Hayes, James and Rivers were instrumental in the run to the second weekend, but their impact goes far beyond the seven-point loss to LSU. The trio, which played together in Raleigh for three seasons, went 47-4 at home, including wins over then-No. 1 Notre Dame and then-No. 2 UConn over the past two campaigns. Oh, 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 thinking 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, on the other hand, is the unique one of the bunch as a four-year player that waited her turn within the program. 

It’s a rare sight in this era of college athletics, where roster movement seems to be second-nature. The Virginia Beach, Va., native, however, stuck it out after playing just 9.5 minutes her freshman year and developed into a two-time All-ACC First Team selection and an All-America Honorable Mention. 

“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.”

For Hayes and Rivers, transplants onto the roster that ended up being integral pieces to the Pack’s success over the past three years, their decision to play for Moore is one they don’t regret. Rather, they’re appreciative of his willingness to plug them into his squad. 

“I didn’t start here, but I’m just really glad he gave me that second chance to be a part of this culture, a part of this program with these special girls, special coaching staff,” said Hayes, the “glue” of this past season’s team. “So I just love everybody, and I wouldn’t want to play for any other team in the nation. And I love these girls.”

Said Rivers: “It’s time to retire these jerseys, but, you know, one day we have to grow up and move on. But I wouldn’t want to play with anybody else, play for anybody else, and I know he said three years, so I’m just glad he gave me a second chance to come in to play for this university.”

Their college basketball journeys are over, but the WNBA Draft awaits on April 14, where both James and Rivers, a two-time All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive team selection, are projected to be selected. Although the trio has its sights set on their professional careers, Moore noted their influence on his program transcends what they did on the court. 

“They’re unbelievable, interacting with our fans and with kids and just, they represent our program, they’re ambassadors for our program in an unbelievable way,” Moore said. “So, very blessed, it makes the journey a lot more fun when you have players and people like that.”

Just as the three seniors were set to depart the podium for the final time, Rivers decided it was time for a selfie. The trio, along with Moore, huddled together with wide grins that illuminated the room for the group photo. 

It signaled the end of an era. One that NC State will remember as one of the most-impactful in the program’s history as they altered the course of where the Wolfpack can go from here. The Pack will miss all three, but it’s time to turn the page. 

Moore, who will enter his 13th season at the helm of NC State, knows he has the tall task of replacing the elite playmakers for next season. But their ability to elevate the team’s culture might make that slightly easier to build around sophomore Zoe Brooks, and freshmen Tilda Trygger and Zam Jones. 

“It’s tough right now seeing them walk out the door, it’s a lot of talent, but it’s happened, we’ve done it before,” Moore said. “And culture doesn’t graduate. So hopefully we can keep it going.”