By R.L. Bynum
Coach Courtney Banghart continues to bring in five-star recruits, so why not add another one? This time, it wasn’t because of a new commitment for North Carolina.
ESPN updated its Class of 2025 rankings on Monday and upgraded 5–9 guard Lanie Grant (top photo) from a four-star to a five-star and moved her up from No. 23 overall in the class to No. 20 and the No. 3 point guard in the class.
Grant is a rising junior at James River High School in Midlothian, Va. Last season, Grant averaged 28.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 41% from 3-point range and 86% from the free-throw line.
So, in addition to the six five-star players who are going to be on next season’s roster — Ciera Toomey, No. 4 in high school Class of 2023; Teonni Key, No. 9 in Class of 2021; Deja Kelly, No. 10 in Class of 2020; Iowa State transfer Lexi Donarski, No. 14 in Class of 2020; Stanford transfer Indya Nivar, No. 20 in Class of 2022; and Anya Poole, No. 49 in Class of 2020 — and Blanca Thomas in UNC’s Class of 2024, the Tar Heels have another on the way in Grant.
This news came after Grant earned a spot over the weekend on the United States’ U16 team that will play in the FIBA Women’s U16 Americas Championship from June 13–19 in Merida, Mexico.
There was good and bad with ESPN’s updated Class of 2024 rankings for Carolina’s recruits. Thomas fell from No. 10 to No. 26, but 5–11 guard Jordan Zubrich (above) is ranked No. 65 as a four-star after not previously cracking the list.
Last season for Mountain Iron-Buhl High School in Minnesota, Zubrich averaged 26.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 54% from the floor and 42% from the 3-point range.
Key dates
Friday and Saturday — Basketball evaluation period for high school players at NCAA-certified events
May 1 — Transfer portal closes
Potential UNC 2024–25 women’s 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 | |
| Eligible for fifth season | |||||
| 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 | TBA |
| 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 |
Top photo courtesy of USA Basketball; Zubrich photo via @MinnesotaFury
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