By R.L. Bynum

Incoming UNC guard Lanie Grant is one of 44 players who will try out for the team representing the United States at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup from July 13 to 21 in Irapuato and Leon, Mexico.

Grant, one of 10 17-year-olds trying out, is the only incoming college freshman trying out for the team. The rest of the players will graduate from high school in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. Grant reclassified after earning Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors in her junior season at James River High School in Midlothian, Va.

The tryouts to pick the 12-member USA Basketball Women’s U17 National team begin on May 23 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Meg Barber of New York University will be the head coach.

Grant was part of the 2023 American team that won gold last June at the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup, which was also held in Mexico. All 11 of her teammates on that team are also invited to the trials.

Grant is part of the Tar Heels’ three-player incoming freshman class, including Mountain Iron, Minn., guard Jordan Zubich and former Charlotte Catholic center Blanca Thomas.

Thomas will be in Colorado Springs beginning Wednesday to try out for the team representing the United States at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup from June 17 to 23 in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

The class of 2025 players at the U17 trials will be Darriana ‘Dee’ Alexander, Carly Amborn, Taylor Barnes, Zhen Craft, Aaliyah Crump, Alexandra Eschmeyer, Kelis Fisher, Holland Harris, Lauren Hurst, Keziah Lofton, Emilee Skinner, Jordan Speiser and Hailee Swain.

The 2026 graduates are Jacy Abii, Kelsi Andrews, Addison Bjorn, Amari Byles, Brihanna Crittendon, Autumn Fleary, Sanai Green, Maddyn Greenway, Saniyah Hall, Kate Harpring, Jayla ‘Jordyn’ Jackson, Trinity Jones, Lola Lampley, Jerzy Robinson, McKenna Woliczko and Lanelle Wright.

At the tryouts from the Class 2027 are Haylen Ayers, Jezelle ‘GG’ Banks, Ryan Carter, Ginny Anne Dumont, Jayla Forbes, Lauren Hassell, Eve Long, Ashley MacCalla, Jessie Moses, Jordyn Palmer, Kaleena Smith, Nation Williams and Ivana Wilson-Manyacka. Sydney Douglas is a member of the class of 2028.

Players trying out for team

Year	No.	Players	Pos.	Height
Freshman	5	Liza Astakhova (LEE-zah uh-STAH-koh-vuh)	W	6–2
Freshman	7	Nyla Brooks	W	6–1
		Brooks brings dazzling skills, confidence to UNC
Freshman	3	Taliyah Henderson	W	6–1
		Long wait, journey for 5-star freshman Henderson after second knee surgery nearly over
Freshman	26	Taissa Queiroz	G	6–1
		Queiroz came to USA from Brazil to chase her dreams
Sophomore	17	Elina Aarnisalo (EH-lee-nah AHR-nee-sah-loh)	G	5–10
		Aarnisalo brings flash, IQ and pro experience to backcourt
Sophomore	0	Lanie Grant	G	5–9
Sophomore	34	Blanca Thomas	C	6–5
Sophomore	1	Jordan Zubich	G	5–11
RS sophomore	21	Ciera Toomey	F	6–4
RS sophomore	4	Laila Hull	W	6–1
Junior	10	Reniya Kelly	PG	5–7
Junior	15	Sydney Barker	PG	5–6
Senior	2	Nyla Harris	F	6–2
		It was hard for Harris to say ‘no’ to UNC again
Senior	24	Indya Nivar	G	5–10

Class of 2025

Player	Rating	ESPN rank	Position	Height	Hometown
Nyla Brooks	Five star	No. 13	Wing	6–2	Alexandria, Va.
Taliyah Henderson	Five star	No. 27	Wing	6–1	Vail, Ariz.
Taissa Queiroz	Four star	No. 77	Guard	6–1	Santa Rosa, Calif.
Liza Astakhova	—	—	Wing	6–1	Moscow, Russia

Date	Day/month	Time	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV/ record
	October
30	Thursday	L, 91–82	No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta	Exhib.
	November
3	Monday	W, 90–42	vs. N.C. Central	1–0
6	Thursday	W, 71–37	vs. Elon	2–0
			WBCA Challenge Las Vegas
13	Thursday	L, 78–60	vs. No. 4 UCLA	2–1
15	Saturday	W, 82–68	vs. Fairfield	3–1
			———————————
20	Thursday	W, 85–50	at N.C. A&T	4–1
23	Sunday	W, 94–48	vs. UNCG	5–1
			Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico
27	Thursday	W, 83–48	vs. South Dakota St.	6–1
28	Friday	W, 85–73	vs. Kansas State	7–1
29	Saturday	W, 80–63	vs. Columbia	8–1
	December		ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
4	Thursday	W, 79–64	at No. 2 Texas	8–2
			———————————
7	Sunday	W, 82–40	vs. Boston Univ.	9–2
14	Sunday	L, 76–66, OT	vs. No. 16 Louisville	9–3, 0–1 ACC
17	Wednesday	W, 84–34	vs. UNCW	10–3
21	Sunday	Noon	vs. Charleston Southern	ACCN Extra
29	Monday	8 p.m.	at Boston College	ACCN
	January
1	Thursday	Noon	vs. California	ACCN
4	Sunday	1 p.m.	vs. Stanford	ESPN
11	Sunday	1 p.m.	at No. 20 Notre Dame	ESPN
15	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Miami	ACCN Extra
18	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Florida State	The CW
22	Thursday	8 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	ACCN
25	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Syracuse	The CW
	February
2	Monday	6 p.m.	at N.C. State	ESPN2
5	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Clemson	ACCN
8	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Wake Forest	ACCN
12	Thursday	6 p.m.	vs. SMU	ACCN
15	Sunday	1 p.m.	at Duke	ABC
19	Thursday	6 p.m.	at Virginia Tech	ACCN
22	Sunday	Noon	vs. Pittsburgh	ACCN
26	Thursday	7 p.m.	at Virginia	ACCN Extra
	March
1	Sunday	Noon	vs. Duke	ESPN
			ACC tournament
4–8	Wed.-Sun		Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga.
			NCAA tournament
20–24	Fri.-Mon.		First, second rounds
27–30	Fri.-Mon.		Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif.
	April
3, 5	Fri., Sun		Final Four Phoenix