North Carolina State guard Aziaha James is elevating her game with inspiration from her late brother

CLEVELAND — Latoya Jackson-James will immediately recognize a well-recognized difference in the looks of her daughter, NC State guard Aziha James, as she steps as much as the subsequent level on the basketball court.

Jackson-James knows her daughter’s inspiration: the memory of her older brother, Ashley “AJ” James, who died in an accidental shooting 4 years ago.

“I feel my son’s presence when she plays,” Jackson-James said, “and I know he is watching over her from heaven and cheering her on every step of the way. He leads her to the victory she so desperately seeks.”

From the beginning of the NCAA women’s tournament, an inspired James helped the No. 3-seeded Wolfpack prepare for Friday’s Final Four matchup against No. 1 seed South Carolina (7 p.m. ET, ABC).

NC State (31-6) advanced to the Final Four for the primary time in 26 years.

“We are party crashers,” James said. “People didn’t invite us here. At the start of the season we weren’t even classified. We are certainly one of the last 4 teams. That means we have arrived.”

NC State made an incredible run. The Wolfpack was not included within the preseason rankings and can face a team that is on the verge of becoming a tenth Division I women’s basketball team and can finish an undefeated season because the start of the NCAA era in 1981-82.

South Carolina will play in its fourth straight Final Four and is 108-3 during the last three seasons. Coach Dawn Staley has rebuilt a team that lost all five starters to the WNBA last yr.

James is posting impressive postseason stats. The left-handed shooting average increased to 24.3 points, which is 57% from three-point range.

She is grateful to the little voice in her head.

“I will always talk to myself and my brother,” James said. “I hear him say, ‘Come on, you’ve got got it.’ You’ve got your next play. He tells me to let go of those 3 and I gave up on my last game.

James was 0-for-6 from 3-point range in a loss to Notre Dame within the ACC title game. The Wolfpack defeated Chattanooga in Round 1 and Tennessee in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament. James scored 29 points within the team’s Sweet 16 victory over Stanford 27 points within the regional final over Texas. She shot 5 of 5 from 3-point range in the primary half and finished 7 of 9 from 3-point range.

James’ mother has seen a turnaround within the last two wins.

“It was Aziah in those first two games, and she was AJ against Stanford and Texas, that was his presence,” Jackson-James said. “During these matches it was like in a movie , when Leroy had that glow around him when he fought Sho’nuff. She was like that, she rejoiced without fear.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, James learned the art of basketball from her mother and brother Ashley, who was two years older. Sister and brother became the primary siblings to be named All-Tidewater in Virginia. They repeated as All-Tidewater the next yr. James was also named area player of the yr and her brother was named first team. In his senior season, he was named regional player of the yr.

After graduating from highschool, Ashley James enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy and accepted a scholarship to Missouri State.

He won’t ever have the chance to play college basketball.

In March 2020, Ashley James was died in an accidental shooting just hours after watching his sister play within the regional highschool championship game. He was 19 years old.

James’ coach at Princess Anne High School, Darnell Dozier, who won 13 state titles and has greater than 700 wins in 29 seasons, remembers his player’s pain.

“She just cried and cried,” Dozier said. “I remember her (hugging) the basketball, going to the gym and shooting for hours. He taught her basically everything. They were really close.”

Days after his brother’s death, James scored a career-high 41 points in a playoff game. She finished her highschool profession with 4 state titles and was named Player of the Year in her class.

James signed with NC State. She was a poor performer her freshman yr, averaging 4.2 points in limited minutes. As a sophomore, she averaged 6.8 points in six starts. In the age of the transfer portal, James weighed her options.

Her highschool coach offered his opinion.

“She was confused because young people listen to other people tell them they should start or maybe they should go play somewhere else,” Dozier said. “Sometimes you just have to wait your turn. And when you get to the right place, you’re willing to wait.”

She decided to remain in Raleigh, North Carolina. A change within the lineup, including the lack of 4 starters to the transfer portal, opened the door for James. Her scoring average in the course of the regular season increased to 16.7 points and led the team. She also made the All-ACC first team.

Wolfpack coach Wes Moore said the transition from highschool to school can take a while. James joined the veteran team during her freshman yr of faculty. As a sophomore, NC State advanced to the Elite Eight with players with five years of experience.

“The good thing is that a lot of kids today wouldn’t bide their time, just go into the portal, but she was willing to be patient and work hard,” Moore said. “Now have a look at her. As she said, everyone knows her name.

And only a handful of individuals know what still motivates James. He has a tattoo of his brother near his left shoulder blade. She said this implies he at all times supports her.

“Being in my zone gives me peace of mind whenever I think about my brother and think about good memories, conversations and motivation,” James said. “These are my most important memories that I will never forget.”