Tag: UNC Women’s Basketball

Paulina Paris, Alyssa Ustby and Alexandra Zelaya named to All-ACC Academic Team

North Carolina’s Paulina Paris, Alyssa Ustby, and Alexandra Zelaya were named to All-ACC Academic Team.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program is well represented on the the All-ACC Academic team for the 2022-23 year. The conference announced last week that Paulina Paris, Alyssa Ustby, and Alexandra Zelaya received the honors.

This honor marks Ustby’s third time in a row making the All-ACC Academic team.  Meanwhile, Paris and Zelaya received recognition for the first time in their career.

In addition to the three current Tar Heels on the list, former UNC wing Kennedy Todd-Williams also received recognition as she has found a new home in the transfer portal. Todd-Williams announced she is transferring to Ole Miss but did make the All-ACC Academic team for her time at North Carolina.

All three Tar Heels should have a significant impact on the upcoming season. Ustby led the team in rebounding (233). Paris had a breakout freshman year, displaying her scoring abilities throughout the season, including a 22-point performance against Clemson, eventually earning her ACC Rookie of the Week. Finally, Zelaya, who’s been with the program the last three seasons, earned her first start this season and would go on to start two more games, becoming a contributor when called on.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program continues to build its culture on and off the court, leading by example for the incoming players.

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Former UNC women’s basketball wing Destiny Adams commits to Rutgers

Former UNC women’s basketball wing Destiny Adams has committed to Rutgers on Saturday night per her Instagram.

Both the North Carolina men’s and women’s basketball programs are seeing their fair share of departures in the transfer portal. And as time goes on, those departures are finding new homes.

The latest player to commit to a program was former UNC women’s basketball standout Destiny Adams.  On Saturday, Adams took to Twitter to announce that she is heading back home and has committed to Rutgers.

The wing is a Manchester, New Jersey native and played high school basketball at Manchester Township High School before committing to North Carolina.

The  6-foot-3 Adams appeared in 33 games for North Carolina last season, starting in four of those games. In those 33 games, Adams averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field.

After getting to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before a disappointing loss to Ohio State, the Tar Heels have now lost two key players to the transfer portal.

Courtney Banghart and her staff will have the task of filling those needs this offseason.

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Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby earn All-America honorable mention

North Carolina Tar Heels Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby earn All-America honorable mentions.

North Carolina women’s basketball players [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Ustby[/autotag] have been named honorable mentions for All-America. Both Tar Heels were pivotal in UNC’s success this season and rightfully have received high praise for their play this season.

Kelly was North Carolina’s top scorer, tying her career high for points averaged in a season with 16.5 per game. This is Kelly’s second straight year receiving this honorable mention showcasing another consistent season.

On the other hand, Ustby was the team leader in rebounds, averaging 8.3 rebounds. Despite missing five games, Ustby finished with 233 total rebounds, 45 more than the next Tar Heel.

The North Carolina women’s basketball season might not have ended as they had hoped. However, they were still welcomed with applause for a hard-fought season, with a lot of credit going to Kelly and Ustby.

Both Tar Heels will be back in Chapel Hill next season, pending any last-minute changes, and should be a shoe for the award in 2023-2024.

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Kennedy Todd-Williams announces her new team

Kennedy Todd-Williams is taking her talents to the Ole Miss Rebels after three seasons at UNC.

The transfer portal has already significantly impacted the North Carolina women’s basketball team, and now we know where one Tar Heel is heading.

It was announced last week that [autotag]Kennedy Todd-Williams[/autotag] would take her talents to the transfer portal. She revealed that she would be lacing up for the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday.

Losing Todd-Williams to Ole Miss was a big blow to the women’s basketball program, and they utilized her strengths well.

The junior started all 33 games she appeared in and was second highest in minutes average per game with 32. Todd-Williams also was second in point average, averaging 13.4 points per game. She also did work on the glass finishing the top three in rebounding for UNC, averaging 5.4 rebounds per game.

A massive chunk of UNC’s offense is now at Ole Miss. However, with the talent coming and culture building, the Tar Heels should be able to rebound from this loss.

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UNC women’s basketball program loses another player to transfer portal

UNC women’s basketball forward Kennedy Todd-Williams has entered the transfer portal.

Both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs are seeing departures to the transfer portal this offseason, showing the harsh reality of having to recruit your own roster at times.

While Hubert Davis has seen four departures so far, the women’s program just received its second. And it’s a surprising one.

Sophomore forward Kennedy Todd-Williams announced on Thursday that she is entering the transfer portal, a day after Destiny Adams announced she was leaving the program. The two departures are huge for Courtney Banghart’s team. Both played key roles the past few years for the Tar Heels.

Todd-Williams started all 33 games for the Tar Heels, averaging 13.4 points per game, which was second-best on the roster last season.

Banghart and the staff will have to find two replacements to come in and match the production of Adams and Todd-Williams.

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UNC standout Destiny Adams enters the transfer portal

UNC women’s basketball forward Destiny Adams will enter the transfer portal after two seasons at North Carolina.

The transfer portal has already created shockwaves for the men’s basketball program, and Courtney Banghartt’s program is seeing the impact of the transfer portal.

Sophomore Destiny Adams entered the portal earlier this week, leaving North Carolina after just two seasons. It’s a big loss for the Tar Heels as Adams was a rising player for Banghartt’s team.

Adams came to UNC as a four-star recruit from Manchester Township High School out of New Jersey. Adams appeared in 61 games during her time at North Carolina, starting four of those games.

This season Adams saw an uptick in her minutes on the court, going from 8.3 minutes per game to 17.2, improving her shooting percentage from 42% to 45%. However, her three-point shooting struggled, converting 11 out of 42 attempts.

Adam’s best game of this season came in the third game played, where Adams finished with her career-high 23-points while tacking up eight rebounds and four steals.

The loss will be felt with Adams on the verge of becoming a starter. However, the talent coming with the culture building for the women’s program should do well, pivoting from this loss.

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Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are WBCA All-America finalists

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are WBCA All-America finalists for the 2022-2023 season.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program season did not end as they hoped, but there is no denying the impact team leaders Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby had this season.

Both Tar Heels have been named WBCA All-America finalists for their region. The other finalists include Georgia Amoore, Sonia Citron, Dyaisha Fair, Abbey Hsu, Diamond Johnson, Elizabeth Kitley, Ta’Niya Latson, Olivia Miles, Celeste Taylor, and Hailey Van Lith.

Kelly led UNC scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. She also displayed ball-hawking skills, averaging 1.3 steals per game. Ustby, on the other hand, was North Carolina’s leader when it came to hitting the glass leading the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. Ustby also showed her ability to score, averaging 13.2 points per game.

The announcement on if Kelly and Ustby will make the final cut for WBCA All-America is expected to be released later this month.

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Twitter reacts in gratitude for UNC’s season following the loss to Ohio State

After a remarkable season, Twitter shares its support for the North Carolina women’s basketball program.

The North Carolina women’s basketball championship hopes came to a screeching end after losing 71-69 to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Despite their dance ending, there is no denying the remarkable season UNC has had despite the injuries, mid-season retirements, and on-the-fly rotations. Even in the final game, North Carolina showed their ability to adapt with Deja Kelly leaving and returning to the court after an injury.

UNC culture is building, and there is no denying that this team can be champions one day, especially when you account that the core still has two years of eligibility left. Even in defeat, the loss feels more like a lesson as they showed fight to the very end.

Usually, when a team is knocked out of the NCAA tournament, disappointment fills the room and takes away from a season of growth. However, when the final whistle rang, instead of social media filling the timeline with anger, it was filled with gratitude as fans thanked the Tar Heels for an incredible season.

Let us look at how Twitter thanks the North Carolina women’s basketball team for a season of memories.

Deja Kelly’s legacy continues to grow after insane state line

North Carolina women’s basketball guard Deja Kelly Tar Heel’s legacy continues to grow after a historic stat line.

North Carolina’s [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] continues to build her Tar Heel legacy, adding another insane achievement to her resume.

UNC played their last game of the season, losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes, but that did not stop Kelly from making history. Kelly became the first Tar Heel for the women’s basketball program since 2000 to finish with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in an NCAA game. Kelly also tacked on three steals, displaying one of the best defensive performances in her career.

This performance showcased Kelly’s abilities on the offensive and defensive end. To make the stat line that memorable, Kelly left the game with an injury before returning to help North Carolina fight late, even hitting a game-tying bucket with 11 seconds left.

This season has been one of the books for Kelly, earning accolades left and right such as All-ACC and winning the MVP for the PKI tournament. The future is bright for North Carolina, a big part of that is due to Kelly’s impact.

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North Carolina falls short of Sweet 16 in loss to Ohio State

North Carolina ends their championship run with a loss to Ohio State.

The North Carolina women’s basketball team’s hopes to make a run at the title has come to a screeching halt with a 71-69 loss to Ohio State on Monday afternoon.

It was a game in which UNC battled back, but ultimately fell short in the end.

UNC started out sluggish, shooting 1-for-8 from the field. However, despite the lack of scoring, North Carolina used their defense to keep it close until the shots started to fall.

The Heels kept the game within reach up to the half, scoring 14 points to Ohio State’s 17 in the second quarter, ending the half only down by five points.

UNC stayed on pace with the Buckeyes in the third quarter, finding themselves with a five-point deficit again at the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter started sour for UNC, as they found themselves on the wrong end of an 11-4 run giving Ohio a double-digit lead halfway through the fourth.

To make matters worse, UNC lost key player Deja Kelly mid-way through the fourth, which felt like the end. However, despite a significant puzzle piece off the court, UNC fought back with a 9-0 run, showcasing North Carolina’s depth.

Thankfully, Kelly could return to the court and gave North Carolina an extra boost heading into the final minutes. As the time began to dwindle, UNC’s hopes were still alive as they kept it close to the final seconds.

Down by two points with under 16 seconds left on the clock, UNC’s Kelly stepped up to the plate again, looking to deliver another game-changing moment like in the St. John’s victory. To no surprise, Kelly delivered, hitting a clutch jumper with 11 seconds left to tie the game 69-69.

After an Ohio State timeout, Buckeyes’ Jacy Sheldon drained a jumper, giving Ohio the lead with two seconds on the clock.

Unfortunately, despite a last attempt to tie, the dance would end with a turnover, officially ending North Carolina’s title aspirations.

The Tar Heels lived in the paint, scoring 42 of their 69 near the basket. The three-point shooting was the biggest downfall, only converting 5 out of 15 attempts. As the game progressed, UNC had stints making it close. Still, Ohio State’s ability to trap and their full-court press was the difference in North Carolina’s inability to score.

North Carolina now looks forward to the off-season with some great talent coming for another run at the title next season.

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