NC State Lands Two on the 2025-26 Official Preseason Women’s Basketball All-ACC Team

The Official Preseason Women’s Basketball All-ACC Team is out, and NC State was represented by Junior Guard Zoe Brooks and Junior Forward Khamil Pierre.

Preseason All-ACC Team (First-place votes – 70 voters)

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame (56 first-place votes)
Zoe Brooks, NC State (3)
Kymora Johnson, Virginia (1)
Toby Fournier, Duke (1)
Ashlon Jackson, Duke (1)
Tajianna Roberts, Louisville (3)
Khamil Pierre, NC State
Reniya Kelly, North Carolina
Nunu Agara, Stanford
Laura Ziegler, Louisville

Sa’Myah Smith (Virginia), Carleigh Wenzel (Virginia Tech) each received one first-place vote.

Preseason All-Freshman Team

Emilee Skinner, Duke
Hailee Swain, Stanford
Nyla Brooks, North Carolina
Lara Smofai, Stanford
Aliyahna “Puff” Morris, California
Leah Macy, Notre Dame

Last season, NC State’s Senior Guard duo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers were on the Preseason All-ACC Team, and went on to finish the season on the All-ACC 1st Team.

Brooks picked up 3 first place votes for Preseason ACC Player of the Year. Last season, Brooks earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, and took home the hardware for Most Improved Player. Logging 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, Brooks earned WBCA All-America Honorable Mention.

Pierre was NC State’s biggest pickup this offseason, earning WBCA All-American Honorable Mention honors last season Vanderbilt. As a Sophomore, Pierre averaged 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game, shooting 49.8% from the field.

Technically speaking, Pierre isn’t joining NC State via the transfer portal. She left Vanderbilt after the portal closed on April 23. If a player opts to transfer after the portal closes, they typically have to sit out a year. However, there are loopholes. For instance, if a player transfers to a new college as a student and does not have contact with the coaching staff, they can then walk on to the program and be compensated via revenue sharing. This compensation can effectively cover their scholarship and provide additional funds.

Neither of NC State’s 2 Freshman were recognized on the 2025-26 Preseason All-Freshman Team, but don’t count out Adelaide Jernigan and Destiny Lunan. Both of them were Top-100 4-Star prospects. Jernigan was the #1 player in the state of North Carolina last season, and Lunan was the Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year in Arizona.

Last season the Wolfpack’s Tilda Trygger finished on the ACC All-Freshman Team at the end of the year.