Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels Women’s Basketball

UNC WBB stays put in latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches’ Poll

Check out where the UNC women’s basketball team landed in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches’ Poll.

The UNC women’s basketball team is still trying to discover its identity through its first four games of the season.

North Carolina beat the teams it should’ve: Charleston Southern, UNC-Wilmington and North Carolina A&T, but struggled early against A&T. The Tar Heels gave second-ranked UConn a good fight, but lost 69-58, falling victim to a big game from Paige Bueckers.

Even with its first loss of the season, UNC stayed put at 15th in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches’ Poll.

North Carolina remained a spot above Kentucky, despite the Wildcats being 5-0, plus a spot behind archrival Duke.

The Tar Heels are off until Saturday, Nov. 23, when they’ll play Ball State in Bahamas’ annual Battle 4 Atlantis. If UNC beats the Cardinals, it’ll take on the winner of Texas A&M and Villanova.

Rank School (Record) Points First Place Votes
1 South Carolina (4-0) 747 28
2 Connecticut (3-0) 716 1
3 Southern California (4-0) 684 1
4 Texas (3-0) 656 –
5 Notre Dame (4-0) 630 –
6 UCLA (4-0) 600 –
7 LSU (5-0) 556 –
8 Iowa State (4-0) 535 –
9 Oklahoma (3-0) 517 –
10 Kansas State (4-0) 477 –
11 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) 425 –
12 West Virginia (4-0) 411 –
13 Maryland (5-0) 401 –
14 Duke (4-1) 325 –
15 North Carolina (3-1) 277 –
16 Kentucky (5-0) 272 –
17 Baylor (3-1) 251 –
18 North Carolina State (2-2) 247 –
19 Nebraska (4-0) 183 –
20 Ole Miss (3-1) 145 –
21 Alabama (6-0) 138 –
22 Louisville (2-2) 113 –
23 Illinois (4-0) 110 –
24 TCU (4-0) 92 –
25 Oregon (24-10) 66 –

North Carolina’s greatest storyline heading into the season was how it’d adjust to life without Deja Kelly, the former star guard who transferred to Oregon. The Tar Heels definitely miss Kelly’s scoring production, but they have plenty of other stars on their roster.

Star forward Alyssa Ustby is off to a slow start, averaging just 8.8 points per game, but she’ll come around soon. Lexi Donarski gives UNC a great perimeter threat again, while Indya Nivar’s return will certainly boost North Carolina’s in-game performance.

Once the Tar Heels starting clicking on all cylinders, they’ll be a tough out in the ACC.

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UNC WBB lands three Class of 2025 prospects on National Signing Day

National Signing Day proved to be a massive win for the UNC women’s basketball program.

The UNC women’s basketball program, particularly in recent seasons, is starting to show why it’s a destination for top high school recruits.

North Carolina landed 5-stars Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant in its 2024 recruiting class, 5-star Cierra Toomey in its 2023 recruiting class, plus 5-star transfers Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar in that same 2023 class.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, better known as National Signing Day, the Tar Heels continued adding more top-end talent.

Taliyah Henderson and Nyla Brooks, a pair of 5-star small forwards and Taissa Queiroz, a 4-star small forward, all officially signed to play their college basketball in Chapel Hill.

Henderson is Arizona’s top-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class. According to her 247Sports recruiting profile, she chose UNC over the likes of Maryland, Ohio State and national power Tennessee.

Brooks is Virginia’s top-ranked 2025 prospect. According to her 247Sports recruiting profile, Brooks chose North Carolina over Maryland, Georgia and Tennessee. Brooks actually de-committed from Tennessee to choose the Tar Heels, a sign that something promising is happening in Chapel Hill.

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Taissa Queiroz plays her high school ball at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa, Calif. Queiroz has spent time with the Brazil National Team, exposing herself to top talent from around the world.

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The Tar Heels roster will look significantly different during the 2025-2026 campaign, highlighting why their signing of Henderson, Brooks and Queiroz is ever-more important.

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Grace Townsend, Maria Gakdeng, Alyssa Ustby and Donarski, the latter three of whom are starters, will be out of eligibility. UNC has plenty other projected returners, highlighted by Toomey, Thomas, Trayanna Crisp and Reniya Kelly, but knowing they have more great incoming talent is a huge relief.

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UNC WBB climbs a spot in latest USA Today Sports Coaches Poll

Where did the UNC women’s basketball team land in this week’s Coaches Poll?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are off to a strong start in their women’s basketball season, winning their first three games by double-digits.

UNC opened its 2024 slate on Monday, Nov. 4, dominating Charleston Southern in an 83-53 victory. Staying at home last week, North Carolina turned around and smoked UNC-Wilmington, 77-50.

The Tar Heels didn’t make things easy on themselves Tuesday night at North Carolina A&T, but they played extremely well defensively and used a huge second quarter to their advantage, pulling away for a 66-47 victory.

Proving itself early as a potential dangerous squad this year, UNC stayed ranked in the latest USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, rising one spot to 15th. The Tar Heels are a slot above archrival Duke, plus one below Big 10 power Maryland.

Ranking Team Record Points
1 South Carolina Gamecocks 2-0 772 (29)
2 UConn Huskies 2-0 740 (1)
3 USC Trojans 2-0 707 (1)
4 Texas Longhorns 2-0 674
5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-0 652
6 UCLA Bruins 2-0 598
7 LSU Tigers 2-0 586
8 Iowa State Cyclones 3-0 547
9 Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 516
10 NC State Wolfpack 1-1 476
11 Kansas State Wildcats 2-0 462
12 Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0 439
13 West Virginia Mountaineers 2-0 382
14 Maryland Terrapins 3-0 378
15 North Carolina Tar Heels 2-0 327
16 Duke Blue Devils 2-1 281
17 Baylor Bears 1-1 256
18 Louisville Cardinals 1-1 206
19 Kentucky Wildcats 2-0 165
20 Nebraska Cornhuskers 2-0 158
21 Ole Miss Rebels 1-1 145
22 Alabama Crimson Tide 3-0 123
23 Stanford Cardinal 3-0 99
24 Illinois Fighting Illini 2-0 87
25 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2-0 50

North Carolina could potentially make a huge jump in next week’s poll, as it prepares to face Paige Bueckers and the 11-time National Champion UConn Huskies. This is UNC’s second-consecutive season facing a title contender in non-conference play, as UNC welcomed the South Carolina Gamecocks to Carmichael Arena in 2023.

Regardless of where the Tar Heels end up in next week’s poll, it’s encouraging to see them with three consecutive wins to start 2024.

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Big second quarter, suffocating defense the difference maker in UNC WBB win over NC A&T

The UNC women’s basketball team passed its first road test on Tuesday evening, beating North Carolina A&T in a closer-than-expected game.

Tuesday night wasn’t pretty for the UNC women’s basketball team, but it found a way to win.

The Tar Heels made their first-ever trip to Greensboro, matching up with a strong North Carolina A&T squad in its home opener. UNC entered with a pair of blowout victories, while the Aggies lost at Rice by one (61-60) on Thursday, Nov. 7.

With both teams tied at 16 three minutes into the second quarter, North Carolina closed the half on a 19-5 run, distancing itself and using lockdown defense to nab a 66-47 victory.

The Tar Heels moved to 3-0 in the process, snagging a much-needed win ahead of their massive, Friday non-conference matchup with 11-time national champion UConn.

UNC struggled clicking offensively, but the defense was exceptional – whether it was blocked shots, great lateral quickness or ability to get back.

North Carolina forced 21 A&T turnovers, as starting guard Reniya Kelly leading all players with five steals. Kelly was one of eight Tar Heels who generated a steal, including everyone in the entire starting lineup – and one of four with multiple steals – joined by Laila Hull, Lexi Donarski and Richmond transfer Grace Townsend.

UNC blocked five shots, led by two from its 5-star, towering freshman center Blanca Thomas. North Carolina never let the host Aggies score more than 13 points in a single quarter, while North Carolina never scored any less than 12 points in a quarter.

On a night where the Tar Heel offense struggled to find consistency, Hull, the redshirt freshman guard, stepped up to lead her team with 14 points. Lexi Donarski was the only other UNC player in double-digits, scoring 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and two made free throws.

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UNC dominates UNC-Wilmington, faces former player in Thursday night WBB action

The UNC women’s basketball team picked up another dominant win Thursday night, this time against UNC-Wilmington.

The UNC women’s basketball team stayed at home Thursday night, welcoming in-state rival UNC-Wilmington to Carmichael Arena for a late-week, non-conference clash.

North Carolina blew out Charleston Southern, 83-53, on Monday during the first day of college basketball season.

Thursday night in Chapel Hill was more of the same for the Tar Heels, who arguably played better against UNCW in a 77-50 domination.

Not only was Thursday another big victory for UNC (2-0), but it was a night in which UNC faced a former player from last year’s roster.

Alexandra Zelaya, the 6’4″ forward who started just 4-of-88 games during her four years at North Carolina, started for the Seahawks on Thursday. Zelaya scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists in 18 minutes.

Enough about Zelaya – we’re here to tell you about how well the Tar Heels played.

UNC distanced itself plenty at halftime, out-scoring UNCW 40-16 in the first half. North Carolina continued pouring it on in the third quarter, scoring 24 points, with the fourth quarter being the only one where the Seahawks had a scoring advantage.

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For the Tar Heels, it was all about fifth-year guard Lexi Donarski, who led all scorers with 21 points. Donarski, in her second year at North Carolina after transferring from Iowa State, shot 8-of-14 (5-of-11 on 3-pointers) from the field, grabbed four rebounds, stole the ball three times and dished out an assist.

What I find impressive about UNC’s victory, in particular, is that it won in blowout fashion while shooting just 36.5 percent from the field. All 11 Tar Heels who played attempted a shot, with nine of them making one.

North Carolina gets the weekend off before its first road game, Tuesday at 7 p.m., when it makes the short trip out West to Greensboro for a battle with North Carolina A&T.

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UNC WBB starts season with a dominant victory thanks to star returners

The UNC women’s basketball team looked plenty strong in a season-opening blowout win over Charleston Southern on Monday.

Headlined by the return of 2023-2024 starters Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski, the UNC women’s basketball team was itching to get back on the court for live game play.

North Carolina, ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll, had the first chance to prove its ranking earlier today against Charleston Southern.

After a slow start in the first quarter, the Tar Heels finally pulled away from the Buccaneers for an 83-53 victory.

UNC (1-0) and CSU had an early tip time for their season opener, with gameplay kicking off at 11 a.m.

If you were concerned about how North Carolina would gel in its first game, I don’t blame you. The Tar Heels said goodbye to leading scorer Deja Kelly in the offseason, as she transferred to Oregon. You shouldn’t feel too bad about Kelly leaving, as she recently professed how she carried the team on her back, all four years of her years in Chapel Hill.

UNC looked just fine against the Buccaneers, as Ustby, Donarski and Arizona State transfer Trayanna Crisp all scored in double-figures. Ustby led the charge with a well-rounded outing – recording 18 points, grabbing a game-high eight rebounds, dishing out four assists and adding a game-high two blocks.

I know it’s just the first game, but North Carolina showcased a potentially deep roster in the blowout win over CSU. 12 Tar Heels played, with 11 of those Tar Heels recording a minimum 10 minutes, led by 28 from Donarski.

UNC has a quick turnaround in Week One, welcoming the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks to Carmichael Arena on Thursday, Nov. 7 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

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UNC WBB star Alyssa Ustby named to prestigious award watch list

Alyssa Ustby will be a leader on the UNC women’s basketball team this year. She gained some well-deserved preseason recognition Wednesday.

After years leading the UNC women’s basketball program alongside Deja Kelly, it’s now time for Alyssa Ustby to step up and be the captain we all known she can be.

Ustby was a double-double machine for the Tar Heels last year, recording 16 across 33 games. Ustby ended her senior year with 12.5 points and a career-best 12.5 points per game.

When Ustby announced her return for a fifth and final year, North Carolina immediately became an ACC favorite.

Ustby herself is also a favorite to earn a prestigious honor in women’s basketball, as she was recently named to the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List.

Ustby is one of 20 nominees for the Cheryl Miller Award – and one of just three from the ACC, joining NC State’s Madison Hayes and Boston College’s Andrea Daley.

Cheryl Miller is arguably one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time. She was named Naismith National Player of the Year three times in college, then led USA to Olympic Gold in 1984.

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I’m not saying Ustby is the main reason for UNC’s on-court success, but she plays a major role in it. North Carolina has made the past four NCAA Tournaments – all with Ustby on the roster – with its deepest run to the 2022 Sweet 16.

While Ustby was counted on for most of the Tar Heels’ rebounding production two seasons ago, she got some much-needed help from Maria Gakdeng in the transfer portal last year. Gakdeng will return and form a formidable post duo with Ustby this coming season, which starts on Monday, Nov. 4 against Charleston Southern.

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Where does UNC WBB land in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25?

Can the UNC women’s basketball team play up to its Way-Too-Early preseason ranking?

The UNC women’s basketball team is going to look a little different this coming season, but it’ll still be full of talent.

North Carolina said goodbye to star guard and scoring leader Deja Kelly, plus reserves Anya Poole, Alexandra Zelaya, Teonni Key and Paulina Paris, in the transfer portal. The Tar Heels will return three starters, plus they bring in several stars from the recruiting trail .

In what’s typically a deep ACC, UNC is expected to thrive in its sixth year under head coach Courtney Banghart.

North Carolina is also predicted to thrive amongst all of college basketball. Just a month ahead of their first regular season game, on Monday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. against Charleston Southern in Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels were ranked 13th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

“Depth, with an interesting mix of experience and youth, should be the hallmark for the Tar Heels,” Charlie Creme wrote. “Lexi Donarski and Alyssa Ustby return for their fifth seasons, joined by 6-3 senior Maria Gakdeng and point guard Grace Townsend, a grad transfer from Richmond. Courtney Banghart added another point guard in freshman Lanie Grant, the Virginia player of the year, and 6-5 five-star recruit Blanca Thomas. The 6-4 Ciera Toomey is ready to go after redshirting last season.”

Ustby, Donarski and Gakdend are returning starters from 2023. Ustby was practically a walking double-double in 2023, averaging 12.5 points and 95 rebounds per game. Donarski is a sharpshooter, making a UNC-high 74 3-pointers last year, while Gakdeng’s 51 blocks at center led UNC.

Townsend is a do-it-all point guard, as she averaged 4.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a career-high 13.4 points per game for Richmond during the 2023-2024 campaign.

Grant and Thomas are two of the best recruits in recent North Carolina memory. Toomey is a former Miss Pennsylvania basketball winner.

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Deja Kelly spills the tea on leaving UNC

Deja Kelly threw some shade – or did she – at her former Tar Heel teammates. Kelly will play her final season of college basketball at Oregon.

At first glance, one could link the North Carolina Tar Heels’ recent success in women’s basketball to star guard Deja Kelly.

UNC made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances: the first round in 2021, a Sweet 16 run the following season, plus it earned spots in both the 2023 and 2024 second rounds.

Kelly increased her scoring average each season, starting at 11 points per game in 2020-2021. Kelly then averaged 16.5, 16.5 and 16.3 points per game in her succeeding seasons, proving she could be an offensive leader for North Carolina.

In the offseason, Kelly shocked Tar Heel Nation and announced she’d be transferring to Oregon. We finally learned the reason why on Tuesday:

“I was a big part of that program that’s back on the national stage, and I ultimately just carried that program on my back for four years in the most humble way,” Kelly said in a TikTok Video via Keeping It Heel. “Being a leader, a face of a program is not easy, and it comes with a lot of BS a lot of people cannot handle. So, I give kudos to myself for being able to handle all this stuff that I went through for the past four years. That position is not for everybody. I am completely confident that it has made me way stronger mentally.”

Considering how much help Kelly had over her UNC career, particularly last year with Alyssa Ustby, Lexi Donarski and Maria Gakdeng, this feels like a slap in the face. It also sounds like Kelly wanted out for a while and wasn’t a team player, which is a key part of the college game.

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Could a Top-20 recruit be headed to the UNC women’s basketball team?

Can the UNC women’s basketball program compile a convincing case to lure this top recruit in the Class of 2025?

Thanks to their rediscovered success in recent years, including four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the North Carolina Tar Heels have become a premier destination for women’s basketball talent.

UNC can thank head coach Courtney Banghart, plus the star-powered duo of Alyssa Ustby and Deja Kelly, for that recent success.

North Carolina’s deepest run since Banghart took over came during the 2021-2022 campaign, making the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champion South Carolina. The Tar Heels won an NCAA Tournament game in each of the past three years, with the most recent coming against Michigan State this March.

Ustby nearly averaged a double-double last season, with 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, not far above her career averages of 12 and 8.2. Kelly, now with Oregon, averaged at least 16.3 points per game in each of her past three years.

What UNC loses in Kelly, it gains in several talented freshman recruits entering the fall, highlighted by reigning Virginia Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year Lanie Grant.

North Carolina is also in the mix for a Class of 2025 standout, with Top-20 recruit Jordan Speiser, a 5-star recruit and Missouri’s reigning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, announcing the Tar Heels as finalists.

Iowa, Kansas State and Ohio State all made the NCAA Tournament last year, highlighted by the Hawkeyes making the Title Game, before losing to South Carolina. TCU hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2010.

If  the Tar Heels land Speiser, she’d be one of their greatest recruiting victories in program history. Speiser is fresh off a dominant junior campaign, in which she registered a career-high 22.9 points per game for Lutheran St. Charles, en route to a state championship.

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