Tag: UNCWBB

UNC women’s basketball moves down six spots in latest AP Poll

The North Carolina women’s basketball team dropped six spots in the latest AP Poll after back-to-back losses against Kansas State and FGCU.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program remained in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, coming in at No. 24 this week.

After back-to-back losses against Kansas State and FGCU, it was questionable if the Tar Heels would find themselves in the top 25. Despite sliding down six spots from No. 18 to No. 24, UNC is fortunate to be ranked in the top 25, largely due to how big of an upset it was for FGCU to beat them Sunday.

Luckily for the Tar Heels, that game will be forgotten with big matchups on the horizon, including No. 1 South Carolina, who comes to Carmichael Arena Thursday for an SEC/ACC matchup.

Along with playing in a stacked Atlantic Coast Conference, UNC has plenty of time to climb back up the rankings.

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UNCWBB moves down one spot in latest AP Poll

The North Carolina women’s basketball team drops one spot in the latest AP Poll, despite its undefeated record.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program moved down one slot in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Despite keeping their record intact, the 4-0 Tar Heels went from No.17 to No.18 in the updated rankings. UNC dominated both games last week, beating Hampton 62-32 and Elon 68-39. What could contribute to the dip in rankings is the close 74-70 game against Davidson a week prior, however, even that would be harsh to slide down with the wildcats beating Duke a few days later.

Six ACC schools are in this week’s top 25. Virginia Tech remains the top-rated school from the ACC, ranking ninth for the second week. NC State had the biggest leap in the conference, sliding up four spots to No. 10.

UNC won’t get a chance to climb next week’s rankings with only one game this week against a non-ranked 3-1 Vermont team. However, the following week they can see a big leap if they can knock off No. 1 South Carolina when they come to Carmichael Arena on Nov. 30th.

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Tar Heels dominate Hampton University 62-32

The North Carolina women’s basketball program dominated Hampton University 62-32 on Wednesday afternoon.

The North Carolina women’s basketball team notched their third win after beating Hampton University 62-32.

The Tar Heels hosted the Lady Pirates and held a special outing called “field trip day”, which welcomed nearly 1500 elementary and middle school students. The game took place right before noon, and it was a blowout from the start.

UNC got off to a 15-6 start after the first quarter and never looked back with their juggernaut defense shutting down the Pirate’s offense. The defense was so good that according to the team voice by voice Matt Krause, it marked the first second time in college basketball history that a team did not produce a double-digit scorer. Meanwhile, on the flip side, UNC continued to show their depth with three players in double digits.

The Tar Heels are rolling, and if they can force teams into 29 turnovers like they did in this win, it could be a good season on the horizon. UNC will face off against Elon on Saturday, looking to push to a 4-0 start.

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Tar Heels escape Davidson trap in 74-70 win

The North Carolina women’s basketball program moved to 2-0 on the season, after escaping Davidson’s trap with a 74-70 win.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program hosted Davidson Sunday night, looking to start their season 2-0.

Davidson walked into this meeting as no slouch, already winning their first two games with a win over USC Upstate and a shocking 57-52 win over Wake Forest. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels handled business in their first game, blowing out Gardner-Webb 102-49.

This game would be more of a struggle for the Tar Heels, with Davidson keeping pace throughout. After the Tar Heels got out to a 20-13 lead, Davidson outscored UNC 13-11 in the second quarter, and kept it close in the third, but that wasn’t enough to close the gap.

However, in the fourth quarter, the wheels started to fall off for the Tar Heels, with Davidson going on a 15-4 run for the lead. Despite struggling to find a bucket, UNC was able to claw themselves back into the game, going on a 12-6 run to close out the game and clutch their second win of the season.

One of the biggest strengths UNC has this season is their depth and that would be the difference maker in this one. They had four players in double-digits, with Deja Kelly leading the way with 18 points.

The Tar Heels will now turn their sights to Hampton University for a midweek game.

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UNC commit Lanie Grant selected to Jr. NBA Court of Leaders

UNC class of 2025 commit Lanie Grant has been selected to the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders.

Future Tar Heel [autotag]Lanie Grant[/autotag] has been selected to participate in the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders program, an extra preparation step for her journey to joining the women’s basketball team.

Grant is a part of the 2025 class and has been carving out a name for herself with dominating performance for the USA Basketball U16 team. She joins the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders, a program that is organized by the NBA and WNBA that develops, and council for elite high school basketball players.

The list of girls and boys players features some significant names, such as the Boozer twins, who have the nation anticipating his landing spot. The program started in April of 2021 and runs a year-long, working as an ideal source for the athletes.

Grant is known for her ability to score while still having great court vision to find the open pass. Her versatility makes her the perfect fit for Courtney Banghart and the staff.

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Indya Nivar shines in Tar Heel debut

North Carolina women’s basketball transfer Indya Nivar shined in the Tar Heel’s game-one victory.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program kicked off its season with a lopsided 102-49 victory over Gardner-Webb.

One of the stars in the win is sophomore transfer [autotag]Indya Nivar[/autotag], who led the team in scoring with 17 points and notched in 11 rebounds. Nivar scored more points and rebounds in her debut with UNC than she had in any game last season with Stanford.

After the game, Nivar met with the media alongside head coach Courtney Banghart and teammate Alyssa Ustby, who was asked about her blockbuster performance in her debut.

“I just feel really happy that I’m here,” Nivar said. “The people around me have been supporting me through my process of adjusting to a new school and a new environment. I think they’ve been really helpful in my process, and making sure I’m developed in the way that I need to and that I’m comfortable in the way I need to perform for this team.

It was a great start to the regular season for the ball club, as they turned their sights to Davidson.

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UNC WBB name their team captains for the 2023-2024 season

The North Carolina women’s basketball program announces their team captains for the 2023-2024 season.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program is ramping up as the season gets near, and we now know who will be the two captains for the upcoming year.

Seniors [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Ustby[/autotag] will serve as captains this year for UNC, bringing their experience and skill to the forefront. Both Tar Heels have significantly contributed to the program’s success and are regarded as top players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Kelly has started 87 of 88 games in three seasons with UNC, averaging 15 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 32.3 minutes per game. Ustby has started 77 of 84 games for the Tar Heels, averaging 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 31 minutes per game.

The Tar Heels are scheduled to kick off its season on November 8th against Gardner Webb in Chapel Hill. With Kelly and Ustby leading the charge, expect a prepared team looking to make a big splash in the NCAA this year.

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Courtney Banghart starts her journey as president of WBCA

North Carolina women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart starts her journey as Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) president.

North Carolina women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart has cranked up her two-year term as Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) president.

Banghart started her tenure by presiding over her first in-person board meeting. Banghart continues to put her Tar Heel stamp on women’s basketball, working her way up the leadership ladder after spending two years as the Vice President of the WBCA.

In a press release done by Go Heels, Banghart explains what the honor means to her to represent women collegiate basketball coaches.

“The sport of women’s basketball is at such an exciting time,” Banghart said. “Serving our organization in this capacity is both an honor and a responsibility, and it will get my best. I look forward to working with our coaches to ensure this inflection point for our sport is fully realized.”

Women’s basketball continues to grow, with more eyes on the product than ever before. Last season, the LSU vs. Iowa NCAA championship game set a new viewership record (9.9 million), a 103% increase in viewership from a year prior to the South Carolina vs. UConn game (4.85 million).

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Tar Heels name Liz Roberts as new special assistant for the women’s basketball team

The North Carolina women’s basketball team name Liz Roberts as the new general manager / special assistant to Courtney Banghart.

Former UNC women’s basketball player [autotag]Liz Roberts[/autotag] will be sticking around Chapel Hill as it was announced she was named the general manager / special assistant to Courtney Banghart.

The announcement came last week, with the program taking to social media to share with fans the exciting news. For the last two years, Roberts was the director of recruiting management and student-athlete engagement for the team, gaining significant experience after her playing days.
Roberts played at UNC from 2016 to 2020 and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in her first three years.

The Tar Heels has started to pick up significant buzz as Banghart continues to shape the culture of Carmichael Arena. This upcoming season UNC has already landed on some top 10 lists, with plenty believing the Tar Heels can make some noise this year.

After a strong off-season of recruiting, UNC will be in a good spot for the next few years.

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UNC women’s basketball set to play in Gulf Coast Showcase

The North Carolina women’s basketball program reportedly will face off against Iowa’s Caitlin Clark this season.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program will play some notable names this season, being one of the eight teams participating in the Gulf Coast Showcase.

It is reported that UNC will be one of the eight teams to play in this showcase, along with Kansas State and Iowa, with women’s basketball star sensation Caitlin Clark. The rest of the field has yet to be announced but wins over Kansas, and Iowa would significantly boost tournament placement come March Madness.

The Tar Heels’ schedule already featured some fantastic teams, especially considering how stacked the Atlantic Coastal Conference will be this year. Factor in the recent announcement of UNC playing UCONN in the Basketball Hall of Fame women’s showcase, and the Tar Heels will have a handful of tuneup games to prepare for a championship run.

On the early top 25 list, UNC cracks the top 10, and the rest of the games should determine if UNC is ready for the big stage.

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