By R.L. Bynum

Coach Courtney Banghart continues to be a big winner in the women’s basketball offseason, and the evidence comes with a couple of recent rankings.

According to 247 Sports, Carolina’s three-player transfer portal class is No. 2 in the country, behind only reigning national champion LSU.

In a Top 25 list AP poll voter Mitchell Northam compiled, UNC is No. 9 in the country. Last season, the Tar Heels finished 22–11 and twice ascended to No. 6 in the AP poll.

Carolina will face many tests next season, considering they will play seven teams on that Top 25 list: No. 2 UConn, No. 5 Virginia Tech, No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 18 Louisville, No. 21 Florida State, No. 22 N.C. State and No. 23 Miami.

Carolina’s transfer portal class includes 5–10 sophomore guard Indya Nivar from Stanford, 6–0 senior guard Lexi Donarski from Iowa State and 6–3 junior center shot-blocker Mara Gakdeng from Boston College.

Nivar (No. 20 in the Class of 2022) and Donarski (No. 14 in the Class of 2020), last season’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, are two of six former five-star recruits on UNC’s roster, including 6–4 stretch-four freshman Ciera Toomey (No. 4 in the Class of 2023), 6–4 redshirt sophomore Teonni Key (No. 9 in the Class of 2021), 5–8 senior guard Deja Kelly (No. 10 in the Class of 2020) and 6–2 senior forward Anya Poole (No. 49 in the Class of 2020).

Carolina will have five former four-star recruits in 5–8 redshirt sophomore guard Kayla McPherson (No. 17 in the Class of 2021), 5–9 sophomore guard Paulina Paris (No. 27 in the Class of 2022), 5–7 freshman guard Reniya Kelly (No. 30 in the Class of 2023), 6–4 senior forward Alexandra Zelaya (No. 89 in the Class of 2020) and 5–7 freshman guard Rylee Grays (No. 90 in the Class of 2023).

In addition to Toomey, Reniya Kelly and Grays, the freshman class includes 6–1 wing Laila Hull, the Indiana player of the year and Miss Basketball. Reniya Kelly, Grays and Toomey all were state players of the year.

Hull earned MVP honors on Saturday as she produced her second 22-point game with a double-double in as many nights to lead the Indiana All-Stars to a 71–67 victory in Indianapolis over the Kentucky All-Stars.

Walk-on freshman 5–7 guard Sydney Barker from Durham’s Jordan High School will play in the East-West All-Star Girls Basketball Game on July 17 in Greensboro.

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Read about UNC’s freshmen

Five-star forward Ciera Toomey
— Big-time UNC recruit Toomey’s love for Carolina, the state stoked years ago during Pinehurst golf trip
— Five-star UNC recruit Toomey leads team to state title 10 months after ACL surgery
Four-star point guard Reniya Kelly
— Dynamic UNC guard recruit Reniya Kelly won first of four state titles at age 12; at 7, ‘Broadway’ wanted to be great
Four-star forward RyLee Grays
— Funny off court, intense on court, 4-star Grays will give UNC versatile skills for 6–3 player
Indiana Miss Basketball wing Laila Hull
— Hull, a sharpshooting, versatile wing, has expanded, refined her game after talent was evident at an early age
Walk-on guard Sydney Barker
— Barker walking on at UNC to follow dream

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Year	No.		Players	Pos.	Height
Freshman	5		Liza Astakhova (LEE-zah uh-STAH-koh-vuh)	W	6–2
Freshman	7		Nyla Brooks	W	6–1
			Brooks brings dazzling skills, confidence to UNC
Freshman	3		Taliyah Henderson	W	6–1
			Long wait, journey for 5-star freshman Henderson after second knee surgery nearly over
Freshman	26		Taissa Queiroz	G	6–1
			Queiroz came to USA from Brazil to chase her dreams
Sophomore	17		Elina Aarnisalo (EH-lee-nah AHR-nee-sah-loh)	G	5–10
			Aarnisalo brings flash, IQ and pro experience to backcourt
Sophomore	0		Lanie Grant	G	5–9
Sophomore	34		Blanca Thomas	C	6–5
Sophomore	1		Jordan Zubich	G	5–11
RS sophomore	21		Ciera Toomey	F	6–4
RS sophomore	4		Laila Hull	W	6–1
Junior	10		Reniya Kelly	PG	5–7
Junior	15		Sydney Barker	PG	5–6
Senior	2		Nyla Harris	F	6–2
			It was hard for Harris to say ‘no’ to UNC again
Senior	24		Indya Nivar	G	5–10

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Class of 2025

Player	Rating	ESPN rank	Position	Height	Hometown
Nyla Brooks	Five star	No. 13	Wing	6–2	Alexandria, Va.
Taliyah Henderson	Five star	No. 27	Wing	6–1	Vail, Ariz.
Taissa Queiroz	Four star	No. 77	Guard	6–1	Santa Rosa, Calif.
Liza Astakhova	—	—	Wing	6–1	Moscow, Russia

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Date	Day/month	Time	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV/ record
	October
30	Thursday	L, 91–82	No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta	Exhib.
	November
3	Monday	W, 90–42	vs. N.C. Central	1–0
6	Thursday	W, 71–37	vs. Elon	2–0
			WBCA Challenge Las Vegas
13	Thursday	L, 78–60	vs. No. 4 UCLA	2–1
15	Saturday	W, 82–68	vs. Fairfield	3–1
			———————————
20	Thursday	W, 85–50	at N.C. A&T	4–1
23	Sunday	W, 94–48	vs. UNCG	5–1
			Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico
27	Thursday	W, 83–48	vs. South Dakota St.	6–1
28	Friday	W, 85–73	vs. Kansas State	7–1
29	Saturday	W, 80–63	vs. Columbia	8–1
	December		ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
4	Thursday	W, 79–64	at No. 2 Texas	8–2
			———————————
7	Sunday	W, 82–40	vs. Boston Univ.	9–2
14	Sunday	L, 76–66, OT	vs. No. 16 Louisville	9–3, 0–1 ACC
17	Wednesday	W, 84–34	vs. UNCW	10–3
21	Sunday	Noon	vs. Charleston Southern	ACCN Extra
29	Monday	8 p.m.	at Boston College	ACCN
	January
1	Thursday	Noon	vs. California	ACCN
4	Sunday	1 p.m.	vs. Stanford	ESPN
11	Sunday	1 p.m.	at No. 20 Notre Dame	ESPN
15	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Miami	ACCN Extra
18	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Florida State	The CW
22	Thursday	8 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	ACCN
25	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Syracuse	The CW
	February
2	Monday	6 p.m.	at N.C. State	ESPN2
5	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Clemson	ACCN
8	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Wake Forest	ACCN
12	Thursday	6 p.m.	vs. SMU	ACCN
15	Sunday	1 p.m.	at Duke	ABC
19	Thursday	6 p.m.	at Virginia Tech	ACCN
22	Sunday	Noon	vs. Pittsburgh	ACCN
26	Thursday	7 p.m.	at Virginia	ACCN Extra
	March
1	Sunday	Noon	vs. Duke	ESPN
			ACC tournament
4–8	Wed.-Sun		Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga.
			NCAA tournament
20–24	Fri.-Mon.		First, second rounds
27–30	Fri.-Mon.		Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif.
	April
3, 5	Fri., Sun		Final Four Phoenix

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications