By R.L. Bynum
Former North Carolina forward Teonni Key has committed to play for former Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks at Kentucky.
The 6–4 Key, who will be a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility, announced her plans in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon.
Kentucky was one of the schools on Key’s final list coming out of Cary High School, along with UNC, Auburn, UConn, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi State, N.C. State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Key is the second of the six UNC players who entered the portal to announce their next school. On April 2, guard Paulina Paris committed to Arizona. Guard Deja Kelly and forwards Aly Zelaya, Anya Poole and RyLee Grays haven’t announced their plans.
On Sunday, Brooks got a commitment from 6–7 Portugese center Clara Silva, who originally had committed to play for him at Virginia Tech. Earlier players who switched their commitments from the Hokies to the Wildcats are 6–3 forward Amelia Hasset and 6–2 guard Lexi Blue.
Former Virginia Tech star Georgia Amoore is also headed to Kentucky as well as 6–5 center Clara Strack.
Key sat out her first season at Carolina, the 2021–22 season, while recovering from a torn ACL, then played 51 games the last two seasons, starting once.
Key averaged 9.8 minutes, 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in her two seasons at UNC. She scored in double figures four times: 13 points on Nov. 13, 2022, against South Carolina State, 11 points on Feb. 15, 2024, against Pittsburgh, and 10 points each at Indiana on Dec. 1, 2022, and at Georgia Tech on Jan. 18, 2024.
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Key played a career-high 22 minutes in UNC’s season-ending 88–41 loss at South Carolina, going scoreless with four rebounds and two assists. She played 21 minutes in Carolina’s first-round 59–56 victory over Michigan State, collecting five points and seven rebounds. Key never played more than 19 minutes in any other game for UNC.
ESPN ranked Key No. 9 in the Class of 2021. Her departure from UNC left redshirt sophomore guard Kayla McPherson (who ESPN ranked No. 17 in the class) as the only remaining member of that four-player Carolina recruiting class. Morasha Wiggins (No. 18) transferred to Arizona State after her freshman season at UNC and Destiny Adams (No. 20) transferred to Rutgers after her sophomore season at UNC.
(UNC is one below the 15-player limit)
| 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 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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