By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina five-star point guard commitment Lanie Grant, the Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player of the Year, is reclassifying and expects to join the Tar Heels women’s basketball program next season.
The 5–10 guard from Midlothian, Va., who is the No. 22 player in ESPN’s Class of 2025 rankings, announced the news in a Sunday Instagram post.
Grant, who turns 17 on April 23 and graduates from high school in July, will increase Carolina’s incoming freshman class to three. She would join five-star 6–5 center Blanca Thomas of Charlotte and four-star 5–11 guard Jordan Zubich of Mountain Iron, Minn.
She’ll be a much younger freshman than Elliot Cadeau after he reclassified and joined the UNC men’s team last season. Cadeau turned 19 on Sept. 4.
This past season, she became the first player at James River High School to earn the Gatorade honor. She averaged 28.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season and led her team to the Class 5 state championship game.
She was a two-time Class 5 first-team All-State selection and won a gold medal playing for the United States in the FIBA U16 Americas Championships last June in Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico. Coach Courtney Banghart traveled to Mexico to watch her play during that tournament.
Grant, an excellent student as well with a 4.47 GPA in high school, was in Portland over the weekend for the Women’s Junior National Team minicamp.
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On Tuesday, UNC sophomore guard Paulina Paris entered her name into the transfer portal and senior center Ali Zelaya reportedly entered the portal on Monday.
Grant’s addition will potentially give Carolina five point guards next season: Grant, Deja Kelly (who can return for a fifth season), redshirt junior Kayla McPherson, and sophomores Reniya Kelly and Sydney Barker.
With Grant beginning her Carolina career next season, the three remaining seniors on this past season’s roster would have only two spots, assuming that graduate guard Lexi Donarski and the other underclassmen return. Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby and Anya Poole are all eligible to play a fifth season.
| Year | No. | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 11 | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 52 | 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 | 5 | Sophie Burrows — X | G | 6–2 | |
| Senior | 8 | 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 |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | |||
| 2 | Monday | TBA | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No 12 Oklahoma |
| 8 | Sunday | TBA | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina |
| 11 | Wednesday | TBA | vs. N.C. Central |
| 14 | Saturday | TBA | at Penn in Palestra |
| WBCA Showcase Orlando | |||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama |
| ——— | |||
| 24 | Tuesday | TBA | vs. Gardner-Webb |
| 27 | Friday | TBA | vs. Army |
| 29 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Brown |
| December | |||
| 2 | Wednesday | TBA | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU |
| 6 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Elon |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 21 | Monday | TBA | vs. Norfolk State |
| 28 | Monday | TBA | vs. UNCW |
ACC home opponents: Duke, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia.
ACC road opponents: Duke, Stanford, California, Louisville, Clemson, Miami, Syracuse, SMU and Pittsburgh
Photo courtesy of USA Basketball
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