Four-star Texas post player commits to UNC women

By R.L. Bynum

An already talented Class of 2023 for UNC women’s basketball just got better.

RyLee Grays, a four-star 6–3 post player from Houston ranked No. 17 in the class by Prep Girls Hoops, picked the Tar Heels on Sunday over N.C. State, Texas, Baylor, Florida and Mississippi.

Grays, ranked No. 72 nationally and described as an “agile low-post performer” by ESPN, joins two five-star commitments — No. 4-ranked 6–4 stretch-five Ciera Toomey of Denmore, Pa., and No. 14-ranked 5–5 point guard Reneya Kelly of Hoover, Ala. — in Carolina’s Class of 2023.

In a January interview with Houston Inside High School Sports, she said that she wanted to pick a school with a family environment and evidently found that with Coach Courtney Banghart’s program.

“I really want to have a good relationship with the coaches and good facilities,” she said.

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Grays’ addition will give the 2023–24 Tar Heels five players who are at least 6–3. Toomey, Alexandra Zelaya and Teonni Key are all 6–4 and Destiny Adams is 6–3.

Grays, who says she models her game after former Tennessee and current Chicago Sky star Candace Parker, follows rising junior point guard Deja Kelly of San Antonio as a Texas star picking UNC.

Grays, whose Twitter handle is @DunkingBeauty, led Pearland High School to a 28–10 record last season before losing in the Texas Region III-6A championship game. She led her team in points (17.8 per game), rebounds (9.4), steals (2.0) and blocks (0.6) while shooting a team-high 56% from the floor.

Before transferring to Pearland, she won a 6A state title at The Village School.

Among the many people she met during a visit to Chapel Hill earlier this month was Armando Bacot.

Toomey remains the only player among ESPN’s top-five players for the class who has committed to a school.

Photo via @DunkingBeauty

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