NC State women's basketball vs. Stanford prediction: Who has edge in NCAA Tournament?
NC State women's basketball has reached its fifth Sweet 16 over the last six seasons and a date with top-seeded and future ACC mate Stanford is next as March Madness rolls toward the Final Four.
The Wolfpack (29-6) won their first two games at home as the No. 3 seed in the Portland 4 Region, toppling Chattanooga and Tennessee to punch a ticket to the Pacific Northwest. That's where they'll meet Stanford (30-5), which knocked out former Pack guard Diamond Johnson's Norfolk State and then Iowa State.
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NC State and Stanford are set to square off Friday (7:30 p.m., ESPN). The winner will advance to the Elite Eight against Texas or Gonzaga from the other side of the region bracket.
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The Wolfpack and Cardinal have met only three times in program history, with Stanford holding a 2-1 series advantage. Their last game was in 1995. Three is also the number of national championships Stanford has won, with the most recent coming in 2021. NC State reached the Final Four once, in 1998 with coach Kay Yow.
Does NC State women's basketball have an answer for Cameron Brink?
The Wolfpack will have a game plan for Brink, the 6-foot-4 Pac-12 Player of the Year and likely WNBA lottery pick averaging 17.5 points and 11.9 rebounds. Part of that plan entails River Baldwin staying out of foul trouble while doing her best to deny the ball.
Along with 6-3 Kiki Iriafen in the post, Brinks' mobility and shot-blocking will impact the Wolfpack's offense too, but don't look for this squad to stop attacking. They like to touch the paint.
The Pack's best answer for Brinks might be to hit the gas and run away with a hot offense. Saniya Rivers, Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks are electric off the dribble. Madison Hayes and Mimi Collins can light it up, and Baldwin is going to get hers.
NC State guards must attack
The Wolfpack is at its best when the guards are aggressive, and they've got a wildly talented backcourt with speed, IQ and the ability to finish in transition. When this squad is hitting shots, and it shoots at 42.7% on the season, good luck keeping up.
James is the Pack's leading scorer (16.0 ppg), but they have five players averaging double figures, plus James, Rivers and Brooks have all hit triple digits in assists this season and they do a good job of finding open teammates on drives.
Speeding up the game vs. Stanford women's basketball
Two of the Cardinal's five losses this season came to USC, and in those games the Trojans scored 36 points off turnovers. NC State's defense needs to lock in and create extra possessions, and that's Madison Hayes' forte.
The Pack's best defender and a 3-point shooting threat, Hayes is the spark that can ignite an electric offense by creating transition opportunities and disrupting the Cardinal offense.
NC State prediction vs. Stanford: March Madness Sweet 16
NC State 86, Stanford 72: NC State guard Rivers has a ridiculously high ceiling that she's only shown glimpses of. She continues to flourish in high-stakes matchups and James has risen to the occasion, too, taking off some pressure and giving Rivers more options. The Wolfpack guards are too hard to stop when they're feeling it, and they're not ready to come home yet.
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State women vs. Stanford prediction, pick for March Madness
