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The NC State women's basketball team entered this season ranked No. 9 in the nation and second in the ACC. Despite losing three senior starters -- including Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, who both were drafted in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft and had excellent rookie seasons for the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun, respectively -- expectations were still incredibly high for the Wolfpack.

But the biggest question mark heading into the season was who would fill the leadership vacuum left by those players? Since this is the first NC State team in history without a senior, the void was massive.

The player most suited for the job was junior guard Zoe Brooks, who had a breakthrough season as a sophomore, tallying 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game and earning 2024-25 ACC First Team honors and becoming the first NC State player to be named the ACC Most Improved Player.

Last season, she was a standout sidekick to James and Rivers in the backcourt. This year, the Wolfpack were expected to be her team.

But very little has gone to plan for NC State this season. The Wolfpack had one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the nation, as three of their first four games were against top 25 teams (No. 8 Tennessee, No. 18 USC and No. 17 TCU). After those three matchups, coupled with a win over Maine, NC State found itself at 2-2 on the season. But alarm bells really went off when the Wolfpack fell to Rhode Island at home, 68-63, on Nov. 23, and by December, NC State was completely out of the top 25. 

December has been better, though. NC State has won five of its last six games, with its only loss coming 103-98 in overtime against No. 9 Oklahoma. They're 2-0 in the ACC, with convincing wins over Miami and Georgia Tech this week. But at 8-4, they're far from where they want to be, and face another tough task on Sunday when they go on the road to face Davidson (12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).

Brooks' raw stats aren't that different from those of last season -- she's averaging 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. But her shooting percentages are way down, especially from beyond the arc, where she's only 3 of 25 on the season. She's still searching for her footing, on the court and off.

"I think it's been tough on Zoe in some ways," NC State coach Wes Moore said. "She's, you know, she's a junior, but she really has to be one of the leaders. I don't know that she's always one that wants to be vocal and, you know, hold people accountable. So I know that's tough on her."

'All the boys were pissed'

Brooks has handles that are so natural, so dynamic, it looks like she was born with a basketball in her hand. But, believe it or not, basketball wasn't her first sport. 

"At first, I wanted to be a cheerleader for my brother. He played football," Brooks told CBS Sports. 

But fate, otherwise known as age limits, intervened. She was only in first grade at the time, and she needed to be in at least third grade for cheerleading. So, her dad suggested she try basketball instead. By the time she was old enough to cheer, she no longer cared about pom poms; she was playing against the boys in her school league and winning MVP trophies. 

"All the boys were pissed," she said. "The parents were even mad. It was funny." 

She was a standout prep player in New Jersey, a McDonald's All-American who was ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2023 by ESPN. She fell in love with NC State during her recruiting visit, when Moore crashed a golf cart while driving Brooks and her dad around campus. She knew then that they were kindred spirits -- competitive goofballs who hate to lose and love to have fun. 

"I really hate losing, no matter how much it is by. One, two, 20, 30 -- I just hate losing. I feel like all my life, like I've mostly been a winner, and so losing never sits well with me," Brooks said.

Embracing the bright lights

Brooks was thrust into the national spotlight last year when she had 33 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Wolfpack's double overtime upset win over No. 1 Notre Dame. It's no surprise that she thrives under pressure.

"I love big games. I've always been on the big stage playing for the best teams pretty much all my life, even since I was a little kid," Brooks said. "So I definitely love the bright lights."

Brooks got a taste of the grandest stage in the sport when NC State made a run to the Final Four when she was just a freshman. At the time, she didn't even realize how momentous that was.

"I feel like that was a great run, and at the time, my young mind didn't really understand what was really happening. Obviously, I knew it was a big deal, but I didn't really sink in until probably my sophomore year that we actually went to a Final Four, and how hard it is to get there, and that some people go their whole college careers without a Final Four," she said.

"But I want to go further this year. I love winning, and I think that we have enough talent to be national championship contenders."

Growing into the role

Some might scoff at Brooks' ambition, given NC State's start to the season. But there is a lot of potential on the team. Khamil Pierre has been one of the most impactful transfers in the nation, averaging 14.5 points and 12.7 rebounds. Sophomore Tilda Trygger, the 6-foot-6 forward from Sweden, is turning into a star, as is Brooks' dynamic backcourt running mate, sophomore Zamareya Jones. Perhaps most importantly, she's figuring out how to lead in her own way.  

"Zoe is definitely a leader," freshman guard Destiny 'Ky'She' Lunan said. "I feel like at practice, she really shows how you should be able to play in the games. She's really someone who I look up to, especially being a guard."

Brooks' former mentors can certainly see the progress, too.

"I see where she's trying," Saniya Rivers said at the Unrivaled media day. "I see her really trying to bring that energy in the locker room, trying to bring it on the court. She's still doing her part in trying to score. I think Zoe's going to be fine. It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish."