College women’s basketball practices have begun and schedules have been released. The Carolina women find themselves once again ranked in the Top 25 of the preseason AP Poll, the first official one of the season.
Carolina is joined by four other ACC teams in the Top 25 including Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Duke, and North Carolina State. The latter three of those also join UNC being ranked in the top 15.
North Carolina will have a non-conference schedule that features two teams ranked on the AP poll as well including a home against UConn, the No. 2 ranked team in the country, and at home against Kentucky in the SEC/ACC Challenge, the No. 22 ranked team in the nation.
This team is highlighted by returning stars Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski. Ustby averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field.
Donarski, a 6-foot-0 senior guard, averaged 10.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 35.7%. Senior forward Maria Gakdeng will also be back with the team after transferring from Boston College in her junior year.
Checking in at No. 15🫡 pic.twitter.com/7eavArhS9Z
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) October 15, 2024
Her first year with the Heels saw her average 23.9 minutes per game along with 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds shooting 62.6% from the field.
The Tar Heels will kick off their season at home against Charleston Souther on November 4th at 11:00 a.m. ET.
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