By R.L. Bynum
Former Carolina wing Kennedy Todd-Williams committed Wednesday to Ole Miss, six days after entering the transfer portal. Loaded with transfers this past season, the Rebels advanced to the Sweet 16.
The 6–0 Todd-Williams, who took her official visit on Tuesday, made the announcement in a video on social media.
“I’m in it. I’m here; let’s go, baby,” she said at the end of the video.
The Rebels finished 25–9 last season and 11–5 in the SEC, losing to Louisville 72–62 in a regional semifinal. Six of the nine players who averaged more than 10 minutes per game were transfers.
“The new standard for us is Sweet 16, and I think that that’s fair,” Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who just concluded her fifth season in Oxford, Miss., said after the loss to the Cardinals. “I’ve got five star-studded freshmen coming in and I’m about to do damage in the portal. So we’ll be back.”
Ole Miss is losing leading scorer Angel Baker and point guard Myah Taylor from that Sweet 16 team, but will welcome freshman point guard Zakiyah Stephenson (No. 88 in ESPN’s Class of 2023 ranking) and freshman forward J’Adore Young (No. 99).
“She’s the queen of the transfer portal,” said Taylor, who played her fifth season at Ole Miss after four seasons at rival Mississippi State.
Todd-Williams was a key part of Carolina rebuilding the program under Coach Courtney Banghart as one of the members of the class that just finished their junior seasons, along with Deja Kelly, Alyssa Usby, Anya Poole and Ally Zelaya.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Todd-Williams helped Carolina earn a No. 6 ranking in two AP Top 25 polls this past season before finishing 22–11. She was one of UNC’s best defensive players and expanded her offensive game, scoring a team-high 52 3-pointers and shooting 32.3% from outside the arc after making 25 during her sophomore season.
Todd-Williams, who is from Jacksonville, N.C., averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds this past season in starting all 33 games. She also started all 32 games during her sophomore season when she averaged 10.8 points per game. She was second on the team this past season in free-throw percentage (75.3%) and third in steals (42) and rebounds (5.4 per game).
Projected roster if all players with eligibility other than Elina Aarnisalo, Lanie Grant,, Taliyah Henderson and Liza Ashtakhova and Liza Ashtakhova return, with years listed for next season (UNC is one below the 15-player limit)
| Year | No./ Stars | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 5 star | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 52/4 star | Noelle Bofia | F | 6–4 | |
| Sophomore | 3 | Gabby White — W | G | 5–10 | |
| Sophomore | 7 | Nyla Brooks | W | 6–1 | |
| Sophomore | 26 | Taissa Queiroz | G | 6–1 | |
| Junior | 34 | Blanca Thomas | C | 6–5 | |
| Junior | 1 | Jordan Zubich | G | 5–11 | |
| RS junior | 21 | Ciera Toomey | F | 6–4 | |
| RS junior | 4 | Laila Hull | W | 6–1 | |
| Senior | Sophie Burrows — X | G | 6–2 | ||
| Senior | 11 | Achol Akot — Y | F | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 10 | Reniya Kelly | G | 5–7 | |
| Senior | 15 | Sydney Barker | G | 5–6 | |
| Graduate | 13 | Chloe Clardy — Z | G | 5–9 |
W — Virginia transfer; X — Syracuse transfer; Y — Oklahoma State transfer; Z — Stanford transfer
Former players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elina Aarnisalo | Junior | G | 5–10 | UCLA |
| Lanie Grant | Junior | G | 5–9 | TCU |
| Taliyah Henderson | Sophomore | W | 6–1 | Clemson |
| Liza Astakhova | Sophomore | G | 6–2 | BYU |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
2 Comments