NC State’s Zoe Brooks out vs. Michigan in NCAA Tournament with injury

NC State will attempt to pull off what would be the biggest upset in the Women’s NCAA Tournament so far this year without starting guard Zoe Brooks.

Brooks has been ruled out for the No. 7 Wolfpack’s second-round matchup with No. 2 Michigan on the Wolverines’ home floor in Ann Arbor. The junior suffered a foot injury in the Wolfpack’s first-round win over Tennessee. She played just 17 minutes, scoring eight points.

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Brooks is NC State’s second leading scorer this season at 16.1 points per game and leads the Wolfpack in assists with 4.3. She also averages 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. NC State is 3-0 this season when she scores 25 or more points.

NC State coach Wes Moore said Brooks didn’t practice on Saturday and was wearing a walking boot.

“Obviously, the first priority is going to be her health and making sure she’s not at risk as far as her future goes,” Moore said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in (freshman guard Ky’She Lunan) and I think the other players do as well. That helps. Still not the same as having Zoe out there, a junior with her experience and all that she’s done, but either way we’ll be ready to play.”

The Wolfpack will likely have to lean heavily on Zam Jones for scoring. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 30 points in the win over Tennessee. Junior forward Khamil Pierre is also averaging 16.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game this season.

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NC State hasn’t played Michigan since 2018, when the Wolfpack and Wolverines faced off in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

A win for NC State would mark its seventh trip to the Sweet 16 in the last eight NCAA Tournaments.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NC State’s Zoe Brooks out vs. Michigan in NCAA Tournament with injury

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nc-states-zoe-brooks-vs-163326490.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-22 16:33:00

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