By R.L. Bynum

In addition to UNC playing UConn in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase, the Tar Heels will play in an eight-team tournament with Iowa and star Caitlin Clark.

The Tar Heels are one of eight teams in the Gulf Coast Showcase, a tournament that will reportedly include UNC, Iowa and Kansas State. The tournament hasn’t announced its field, so the other five teams for the event aren’t known yet.

The tournament starts the day after Thanksgiving, set for Nov. 24–26 in Estero, Fla., at the Hertz Arena, the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

Clark led Iowa to a 31–7 record, a No. 2 ranking last season and the NCAA championship game, where the Hawkeyes lost to LSU 102–84.

Clark, a 6–0 senior, averaged 27.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while dishing out a team-high 327 assists and shooting 39% from 3-point range.

Kansas State, which was 19–17 last season and played in the Postseason NIT, upset Iowa on Nov. 17 last season 84–83.

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Potential UNC 2024–25 roster

Year	No.		Players	Pos.	Height
Freshman	—		Lanie Grant (5 star)	PG	5–10
Freshman	—		Blanca Thomas (5 star)	C	6–5
Freshman	—		Jordan Zubich (4 star)	G	5–11
RS Freshman	21		Ciera Toomey	F	6–4
RS Freshman	4		Laila Hull	W	6–1
Sophomore	10		Reniya Kelly	PG	5–7
Sophomore	15		Sydney Barker	PG	5–6
RS Junior	11		Kayla McPherson	PG	5–8
Junior	24		Indya Nivar	G	5–10
Senior	5		Maria Gakdeng	C	6–3
Graduate	—		Grace Townsend	G	5–5
Graduate	20		Lexi Donarski	G	6–0
Graduate	1		Alyssa Ustby	F	6–1

2023–24 UNC players to enter transfer portal

Class	Player	Date entered	Pos.	Hgt	Next school
Junior	Paulina Paris	March 26	G	5–9	Arizona
Graduate	Ali Zelaya	April 1	F	6–4	UNCW
Graduate	Anya Poole	April 1	F	6–2	TBA
RS junior	Teonni Key	April 2	F	6–4	Kentucky
Sophomore	RyLee Grays	April 5	F	6–3	TBA
Graduate	Deja Kelly	April 8	G	5–8	TBA

Photo via @IowaWBB