NC State credits Aziaha James for dream run to Final Four. ‘She is that girl’
With eight seconds left on the clock, Aziaha James jogged to the sidelines and was met by N.C. State coach Wes Moore, wrapped his arms around the junior and picked her up with a hug.
A few minutes later, he stood in front of cameras hugging James and Saniya Rivers.
“I love that man,” James said. “I wouldn’t pick any other coach.”
The Wolfpack (31-6) upset No. 1 seed Texas (33-5), 76-66, to advance to its first Final Four since 1998 and Moore’s first appearance as a head coach.
And let there be no doubt, N.C. State couldn’t have done it without James. The third-year Wolfpack player earned the Portland 4 regional Most Outstanding Player award for her efforts over the weekend.
She scored 29 points against No. 2 seed Stanford in the Sweet 16, with 25 coming in the second half. James added 27 points against the Longhorns, mostly from 3-point land. She scored 21 in the first half.
Those are just the point totals, too. James knocked down a 3-pointer from the logo two days ago and started 5 for 5 from 3-point range on Sunday.
“First of all, she’s put in a lot of work this summer, both her and Saniya. I’m a big believer in, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get,’” Moore said on Saturday. “She’s put in the work to get here.”
But her work hasn’t just come in the summer. In the era of the transfer portal, James stayed with the Wolfpack. She was on the team that made the Elite Eight two years ago. She stuck around after the team fell short of its goals last season.
Now, she’s making history.
“I’m used to seeing kids develop, and Aziaha is an unbelievable example,” Moore said on Sunday. “Her freshman year, great player out of high school. I mean, big-time player. But freshman year, [she] kind of had to work her way in. Last year she got more time, probably should have got even more, if I hadn’t been so adamant about playing veterans.
Now here she is reaping the benefits. It’s really awesome.”
Moore said he’s watched the junior grow from someone who might get down on herself if she missed a shot or made a mistake. Now, she carries herself with supreme confidence. The team loves her swag, her persistence.
“She is a woman,” Moore said. “She handles adversity and keeps coming back.”
With all the talk about N.C. State being overlooked and underestimated, the Pack always believed in themselves — especially James.
Katie Peneueta, a transfer from Sacramento State, called her teammate an underrated player who hasn’t reached her ceiling.
Freshman Maddie Cox admires James’ work ethic and determination. When something goes wrong — say a questionable call or turnover — N.C. State can always count on her to keep fighting.
Even with her success, James knows that she’s just one player on a team loaded with winners. Her success is their success.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth in Zaza since even the beginning of the year, she’s really stepped up as a leader,” teammate River Baldwin said. “We feed off of her energy. Just the growth in taking smart shots and being a reliable defender has been great to see throughout the season. And, as y’all saw this weekend, she is that girl.”
Off the court, James brings an undeniable energy to the locker room. She’s funny, but she also knows when to prioritize the work and plans to carry that business-like approach to the Final Four.
“It feels so good to be a part of that,” James said of N.C. State’s success. “It shows a lot about the Wolfpack; shows a lot about myself, just never giving up. People didn’t know my name my freshman year, but you know my name now.”
