Zoe Brooks on NC State's Goals, Underdog Mentality, and Mental Toughness

Career High and Rivalry with Hannah Hidalgo

• 🏀 Zoe Brooks discusses her career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds against Notre Dame, highlighting a competitive back-and-forth with Hannah Hidalgo.
• 💬 Brooks and Hidalgo, who have a history from high school, engaged in playful trash talk during the game, with Brooks successfully drawing a foul on Hidalgo.
• 🎯 A key strategy in the game was to get opposing players like Hidalgo and Olivia Miles to foul out, making the game easier for NC State.

High School Championship Game Heroics

• 🏆 Brooks recounts her favorite high school game, a national championship where she also scored 33 points and hit the buzzer-beater.
• 🩹 Despite tearing her plantar fascia and missing previous games, she played through significant pain, taping her foot extensively.
• 💔 She narrowly missed her 2,000th high school point due to the injury, but prioritized winning the crucial championship game.

NC State's Underdog Status and Team Growth

• 🌟 Brooks embraces NC State's underdog status, feeling the team is as good as top programs like South Carolina and LSU but often overlooked.
• 📈 The team has grown significantly since the start of the season, moving from a 4-3 record in tough early games to becoming a "very scary team" as players learned to play together.
• 🤝 Ball movement and assists are crucial for NC State's success, with the team performing significantly better when assists are high, as evidenced by their record.

Mental Fortitude and Championship Aspirations

• 🧠 Brooks emphasizes the importance of mental toughness alongside physical skill, especially at the end of a long season.
• ⛪ To prepare mentally, she watches recorded sermons from her church in New Jersey, finding messages of staying tough and believing in God's plan.
• 🏆 The team's main goal is to win a National Championship, and they are focused on learning from losses like the one against Duke and maintaining their collective mindset.

Personal Notes

• 🎉 Brooks celebrated her recent birthday with a low-key dinner with friends, opting for a quiet celebration this year.