Tag: UNC Women’s Basketball

Deja Kelly to stay in college but enter transfer portal

Deja Kelly has officially entered the transfer portal after four seasons with the UNC women’s basketball program.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball program received some bad news on Monday afternoon regarding one of their top players. Guard Deja Kelly has entered the transfer portal after deciding to stay in college for one more season.

Inside Carolina confirmed an earlier report on Monday that Kelly is in the transfer portal with a year of eligibility left. However, Alexa Philippou of ESPN is reporting that a return to UNC is still on the table for Kelly but she will also explore other schools in the process:

North Carolina women’s basketball star Deja Kelly has entered her name into the transfer portal, a source told ESPN Tuesday.

It is on the table for her to return to UNC, the source said, but she will also explore other schools.

Kelly has been one of UNC’s best and most consistent players in her four seasons with the program. In 2023-24, she averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Over her career at UNC, she’s averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.

It was a tough year for the Tar Heels this past season, going 20-13 and losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual champion South Carolina. She did help the Tar Heels reach the Sweet 16 in 2022.

Kelly is the fifth UNC women’s basketball player to enter the transfer portal this offseason.

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Deja Kelly nabs All-America honors for third-consecutive season

What can’t Deja Kelly do? The UNC women’s basketball standout earned another honor for her career.

If there’s been one constant with the UNC women’s basketball team, it’s Deja Kelly.

The San Antonio, Texas product has played at a star level ever since stepping foot on campus, scoring at least 11 points per game in each of her first four seasons. This has translated to being North Carolina’s top scorer in the past three seasons, which have seen her scoring output elevate to 16 PPG.

Kelly’s been fortunate in leading UNC to the NCAA Tournament each year, highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in 2022. There’s a strong possibility Kelly comes back for her COVID year – could that mean greater heights in Chapel Hill.

Regardless of her decision, Kelly just earned WBCA All-America Honors for the third-consecutive season, being named Honorable Mention.

With her team-leading 16.3 points per game last year, which included 27 double-digit outings and 11 20-point games, Kelly now sits sixth on UNC’s all-time scoring list with 1,858 career points. Kelly could very well pass Ivory Latta’s program-record 2,285 points next season – assuming she uses her COVID season.

North Carolina has already seen five reserves transfer out this offseason, but starters have yet to announce a decision.

If Kelly decides to return, would she be the key for a deep NCAA Tournament run?

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Top recruit picks UConn over UNC women’s basketball program

Sarah Strong picks the UConn Huskies over the UNC women’s basketball program on Saturday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ women’s basketball program was hoping to receive some good news on Saturday. With top recruit Sarah Strong ready to make her college decision, the Tar Heels were one of three teams in the running.

But in the end, Strong went in a different direction.

The recruit opted to pick the UConn Huskies as her college choice, selecting them over both UNC and Duke. The 6-foot-2 forward is the top-ranked player in the 2024 class and will head to UConn to make an impact right away for a Huskies program that fell to Iowa in the Final Four on Saturday night.

It’s a tough loss for the Tar Heels as Strong is an in-state recruit who was named the Gatorade North Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She led Grace Christian to a 30-0 record while averaging 21.0 points,16.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season.

All is not lost for North Carolina as they will welcome in a two-player class for the 2024 cycle with five-star Bianca Thomas and four-star Jordan Zubich committed.

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RyLee Grays is latest Tar Heel to enter transfer portal

The UNC women’s basketball team employed a starter-heavy lineup last year. A fifth reserve, RyLee Grays, is now in the transfer portal.

It’s never easy seeing one of your players enter the transfer portal.

Sometimes, a player has to do what’s best for them. Maybe that player didn’t truly fit in with a program when stepping on campus, get as much playing time, or simply wanted to go somewhere else due to personal preference.

There has been several players transfer from the UNC women’s basketball team, which lost in a blowout to South Carolina during the Round of 32 this year. No Tar Heel starters have transferred yet (as of Saturday, April 6), but the four already have been reserves.

Add yet a fifth reserve to the transfer portal, as freshman RyLee Grays entered her name on Friday, April 5.

Grays only played 19 minutes across five games last year, with her best output coming when she scored four points – on 2-of-2 shooting – in North Carolina’s 96-36 domination of Western Carolina.

Grays, a 1-time state champion who calls Pearland, Texas her hometown, was part of a deep forward rotation led by Alyssa Ustby.

Even though Grays is not returning, the Tar Heel Tribune showcases plenty of players expected to return, including the entire starting lineup. This could pose good news for UNC, which will be looking for its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2022.

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Did you know Caitlin Clark is a big Tar Heels fan?

Did you know Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark grew up a huge UNC basketball fan?

All the attention in the college basketball world is on Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, who’s amongst the best to ever don a college uniform.

Clark has been balling out since her elementary school days in Des Moines, Iowa, but this season has undoubtedly been her best. Not only did she break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division-I women’s scoring record, but she now holds the NCAA Division-I all-time scoring record after later passing Pistol Pete Maravich,

As a result of her All-Star level play this year, which includes a college-leading 31.7 points per game, Clark’s Hawkeyes are in the Final Four for the second-straight season. Iowa will be playing for its first national title on Sunday, April 7, holding off a late charge from UConn Friday to advance.

Though Clark is an  Iowa basketball legend, did you know she actually grew up a UNC fan?

We can credit this to two Tar Heel legends: Mia Hamm, arguably the greatest women’s soccer player our National Team has ever seen and Harrison Barnes, who grew up approximately 40 minutes north of Clark in Ames.

“I was a big Harrison Barnes fan growing up, but I was also big Mia Hamm fan, too,” Clark said in a Tar Heel Tribune article. “Harrison Barnes was like ‘it’ in the state of Iowa.”

This sentence for the Tar Heel tribune article shows you how much Clark truly loved North Carolina: She had her mom repaint her entire room Carolina blue and navy blue. She had Carolina stuff all over her room.

As much as she loves UNC, was there ever a shot she’d don the Tar Heel Blue herself?

“I didn’t really want to go there and play women’s basketball, but I loved their men’s basketball and their soccer because I grew up playing soccer,” Clark said. “So, yeah, I was a big North Carolina basketball fan growing up.”

Just imagine if Clark chose UNC. Can you imagine how much more of a basketball school it’d be?

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Does this mean Deja Kelly is returning to UNC next year?

Did Deja Kelly just hint at her future basketball plans?

Several college basketball players will see their dreams come to fruition on Monday, April 15 during the WNBA Draft.

We already know that Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink are going to go first and second overall, respectively. Some other names to look out for in the draft are Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, and Aaliyah Edwards

Earlier in the year, there was talk that UNC star Deja Kelly would be a first-round prospects. She’s averaged a minimum 16 points per game in each of her last three college seasons, leading the Tar Heels in each, but she has the ability to use her COVID year and return in the Fall.

That possibility just became even more real.

On Thursday, April 4, college players formally filed for inclusion as candidates for the WNBA Draft.

Kelly wasn’t on this list.

Kelly could shock Tar Heel Nation and do the unthinkable, deciding to stop playing hoops entirely or enter the transfer portal. I don’t think either of those scenarios are likely, particularly given she’s already been in Carolina Blue for four season.

Kelly is certainly talented enough to enter her name in the WNBA Draft, but her decision not to gives me a good feeling. It’s also worth noting that Alyssa Ustby, UNC’s star forward who nearly averaged a double-double last year, is not on the list.

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Best photos from UNC women’s basketball 2023-24 season

With the 2023-24 UNC women’s basketball season coming to an end, we take a look at the best photos.

It was a bitter ending for the UNC women’s basketball program, losing in blowout fashion to South Carolina in the Sweet 16.

Despite the loss, this season shouldn’t be washed away. Instead, as a stepping stone for what is to come. The Tar Heels finished with a 20-13 record, playing their best ball in Chapel Hill with a 14-2 home record.

This season had many highs, with big wins over Syracuse, Notre Dame, NC State, and Duke. With the wins came the heartbreaks, losing in a second-half collapse to South Carolina earlier in the season, going in and out of the AP Top 15 poll as a result.’

[autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Ustby[/autotag] added to their Tar Heel legacies, earning all-conference ACC honors. The transfer portal is already off to a fiery start with all eyes on the future, but before we get there, we take a look at the best photos from the 2023-24 season.

Teonni Key becomes fourth UNC WBB player to enter transfer portal

Will former UNC women’s basketball player Teonni Key find more success somewhere else after entering the transfer portal?

What could be a thin roster for the UNC women’s basketball team next year, became even more thin the first week of April.

Tar Heels stars Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are seniors, but they could both opt to use their COVID seasons. Key reserves Anya Poole, Alexandra Zelaya and Paulina Paris, however, are already in the transfer portal.

Another key reserve joined Poole, Zelaya and Paris in the transfer portal on Tuesday, April 2, with redshirt sophomore Teonni Key announcing her decision.

Key didn’t play a ton of super-impactful minutes, but she did play in 23 of North Carolina’s 33 games. Key averaged 9.5 minutes, 2.7 points and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting an efficient 47.2 percent from the field.

Key’s best game came on Feb. 15, when UNC beat Pitt, 75-62, at Carmichael Arena. Key scored a season-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while also grabbing two rebounds, dishing out an assist, blocking one shot and stealing the basketball once.

Key also enjoyed a 10-point outing on Jan. 18, when North Carolina squeaked by Georgia Tech (73-68) on the road.

With Key being an in-state hooper from Cary, will she transfer somewhere locally? Could she end up at UNCG or High Point University, which consistently competes atop the Big South Conference?

According to the Tar Heel Tribune, the other 10 schools on Key’s final list coming out of Cary High School were Auburn, UConn, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, N.C. State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Wherever Key ends up, we wish her the best of luck.

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This stat shows just how dominant South Carolina was against UNC

There’s not many women’s college basketball teams who can challenge South Carolina. UNC tried – and failed – during NCAA Tournament action last weekend.

Given how closely the UNC women’s basketball team played South Carolina back in late November, last weekend’s NCAA Tournament result came as a bit of a shocker.

The Gamecocks dominated the Tar Heels, 88-41, in a game which was pretty much over by halftime. North Carolina shot a horrendous 23.8 percent from the field, with star forward Alyssa Ustby the only UNC player scoring in double-digits.

The Tar Heels only scored 34 points through the first three quarters, while South Carolina scored 28 in the opening quarter along.

Want a crazy number?

If the Gamecocks had gone scoreless in the second half, they still would’ve won the NCAA Tournament matchup – assuming UNC’s scoring played out how it did.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4_iqu8v4YG/

You have to give South Carolina some credit for this, as it’s clearly the nation’s best team, but this was an embarrassing loss for North Carolina. The Tar Heels faced some bad injury lucky – Paulina Paris, Kayla McPherson,  but still were tied for first in the ACC at one point.

Stars Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby could still come back for a COVID year, but they could also declare for the WNBA Draft. Paris is in the transfer portal, but North Carolina has plenty of guards.

Will Dawn Staley lead the Gamecocks to a third NCAA Championship?

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Paulina Paris enters transfer portal

Paulina Paris was one of the UNC women’s basketball team’s best bench players. She made a tough decision on Tuesday, March 26.

The UNC women’s basketball program sported a slew of returners and brought in a trio of talented transfers this season, with the hopes those moves would be enough to advance it deep in the NCAA Tournament.

Despite making the Big Dance and winning its Round of 64 game against Michigan State, North Carolina suffered yet another early exit – this time to expected title winner South Carolina. The final result was alarming (88-41), considering the Tar Heels played the Gamecocks close in Chapel Hill last November.

One of UNC’s key reserves, Paulina Paris, averaged 5.9 points per game in eight starts. Her season was cut short due to a lower-body injury.

Unfortunately for North Carolina, Paulina Paris announced her decision to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, March 26.

If Deja Kelly any Alyssa Ustby end up declaring for the WNBA draft, Paris’ decision could hurt the Tar Heels. Luckily for UNC, it should return several guards in Laila Hull, Reniya Kelly, Kayla McPherson (injury-shortened season this year), Teonni Key, Sydney Barker and Indya Nivar.

With Lexi Donarski having exhausted her final year of eligibility, it makes you wonder whether Paris would’ve start for North Carolina next year.

Head coach Courtney Banghart will now need to look elsewhere to replace Paris’ production.

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