Former UNC guard Paris commits to Arizona

R.L. Bynum,

By R.L. Bynum

One week after entering the transfer portal, former UNC guard Paulina Paris has found a home out west.

On Tuesday evening, Paris announced on social media that she was committing to play at Arizona. She went into the portal on March 26, two days after Carolina’s season ended.

Paris was the first of four Carolina women’s players to hit the portal so far. On Monday, senior centers Ali Zelaya and Anya Poole followed, and on Tuesday, redshirt sophomore forward Teonni Key put her name in the portal.

It appears that she’s happy to be able to once again wear No. 23, which she wore in high school. She wore No. 2 at UNC because No. 23 is retired to honor Charlotte Smith.

In Arizona’s final season in the Pac-12, the Wildcats went 18–16 overall and 8–10 in the league, losing to Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA tournament 74–69. Arizona joins the Big 12 next season.

Carolina beat Arizona 63–45 in a second-round NCAA tournament game on the Wildcats’ home court in 2022, but Paris had not yet joined the UNC program.

Arizona made the 2021 Final Four, beating UConn in the semifinals before losing to Stanford 54–53 in the national championship game. Coach Adia Barnes just completed her eighth season at Arizona, and has a 150–99 record.

Former UNC guard Kennedy Todd-Williams returning for a second season at Ole Miss.

Paris last played for UNC in the 81–68 home victory on Jan. 14 over Virginia before suffering a lower-body injury, likely a knee injury. She averaged 5.9 points, 1.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 15 games this season, with a season-high 16 points against Western Carolina on Dec. 15.

According to sources, Paris was cleared medically a few weeks ago but never was in uniform for a game. She didn’t practice with the team, although she warmed up with the Tar Heels some in Columbia, S.C., last weekend and practiced separately.

Paris began the season coming off the bench, with freshman guard Reniya Kelly starting. Kelly missed the last half of the season with a knee injury after also missing earlier games with a concussion.

WFMY story on Tar Heel Tribune

Being without Paris, Kayla McPherson and Reniya Kelly in the backcourt created many challenges down the stretch for the Tar Heels.

Paris missed a pair of non-conference games — the 81–56 win Dec. 6 against UNC Greensboro and the 76–64 loss Dec. 10 in Uncasville, Conn., to UConn — with what the program called a lower-body injury after playing in the previous 36 games. The Virginia home win was her seventh consecutive start and eighth of the season.

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Published by R.L. Bynum