North Carolina State University Athletics
James Highlights Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List
2/11/2025 7:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Aziaha James of the No. 10/11 NC State women's basketball team continues to pick up national attention, as the senior guard was named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Women's Watch List, as announced on Tuesday. James is one of four players from the ACC to make this Player of the Year Watch List.
James paces the Pack with 18.0 points per game with 47 3-pointers. She has logged double digits in scoring in all but one game this season, as well as earned 20-point games in 11 contests and has led the Pack in scoring in 10 different games. James is shooting 46.8 percent from the field (159-340), 32.9 percent from 3-point (47-143) and 73.8 percent from the free throw line (48-65). She also averages 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
The Virginia Beach, Virginia native is coming off a phenomenal week, having averaged 29.0 points per game on 64.9 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in the Pack's two ranked wins over No. 10/10 Duke and at No. 22/22 Florida State.
She scored a career-high 36 points on just 19 shots (15-of-19 from the field) against No. 10/10 Duke, and scored 27 of those points in the second half.
Her 36 points was the most for an NC State player since 1998 (Chasity Melvin vs. Louisiana Tech) and the fifth most scored in a game by an ACC player this season. The senior followed up that performance with 22 points off 9-of-18 shooting from the field with five rebounds, two assists and three steals at No. 22/22 Florida State. She was named Player of the Week by multiple organizations, including from USBWA (for the second time this season), the ACC, Naismith Trophy and March Madness.
Also this season, James has had notable performances at TCU with 27 points off the bench and 25 points against Virginia Tech. She was named USBWA Player of the Week following her performances against Pitt, in which she had 22 points off 6-of-10 from 3-point with four assists, and Virginia, a game she finished with 20.
James surpassed 1,000 career points against Kent State and jumped to No. 20 on the all-time scoring list at NC State with 1,375 career points. She also is No. 12 in career 3-pointers (155) in NC State history.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the late midseason list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award qualifications.
Wooden Award voters will be invited to rank 10 of the 15 players on the ballot in order of preference when voting opens during the NCAA Tournament. Voters will also consider performances in the tournament's early rounds, players' contributions to their teams, and their character. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. The winner will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.
1. Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
2. Lauren Betts, UCLA
3. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
4. Madison Booker, Texas
5. Paige Bueckers, UConn
6. Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
7. Audi Crooks, Iowa State
8. Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
9. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
10. Aziaha James, NC State
11. Flau'jae Johnson, LSU
12. Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State
13. Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
14. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
15. Aneesah Morrow, LSU
16. Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
17. Sedona Prince, TCU
18. Sarah Strong, UConn
19. Hailey Van Lith, TCU
20. JuJu Watkins, USC
Awards/Watch Lists for Aziaha James this Season:
- March Madness Player of the Week (2/11)
- AP Player of the Week Runner-Up (2/11)
- USBWA National Player of the Week (2/11)
- Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (2/10)
- ACC Player of the Week (2/10)
- Women's College All-Star Game Watch List (2/4)
- USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Top 50 Watch List (2/3)
- USBWA National Player of the Week (1/21)
- Wooden Award Top 25 Midseason Watch List (1/7)
- Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List (11/7)
- Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List (10/28)
- ACC Preseason Team (10/15)
