By R.L. Bynum
Most high school graduates enjoy a ceremony with their classmates in their hometown, but Lanie Grant’s path was different, and so was her ceremony and location.
Grant reclassified after earning Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year honors her junior season at James River High School in Midlothian, Va., so that she could join the North Carolina women’s basketball program as a freshman next season.
An excellent student, the talented point guard only needed to take a government course and an English course to earn her high school diploma early. She finished the government course while training in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the United States U17 Women’s World Cup team.
After helping the No. 1-ranked American team win its first two games Saturday (82–55 over No. 3 Australia) and Sunday (121–36 over No. 12 Puerto Rico) in Irapuato, Mexico, she completed the English course during the team’s off day on Monday.
After she scored 17 points in Tuesday’s 123–42 win over No. 9 Croatia and netted 15 in the USA’s round-of-16 114–34 victory over No. 16 Egypt on Wednesday, the team got another off day on Thursday, and that came with a surprise.
Her teammates and coaches conducted an impromptu graduation ceremony in the hallway of the team’s hotel, complete with a rolled-up paper featuring a USA Basketball logo and reading, “Congratulations on graduating high school, Lanie.”
“They made me cry,” said Grant, whose parents are in Mexico for the World Cup competition. “Complete surprise.”
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Here teammates lined up on both sides of the hallway and linked hands so that Grant could walk under the makeshift tunnel.
“Thank you to everybody who came out,” Grant says on the video.
In her first game as a high school graduate, Grant, who is averaging 14 points per game and has scored a team-high 10 3-pointers, is expected again to be in the starting lineup at 5:30 p.m. ET Friday as the USA faces No. 7 Japan in the quarterfinals. You can watch a streaming broadcast of the game here.
FIBA Women’s U17 World Cup
United States schedule
In Leon and Irapuato, Mexico
(All times Eastern)
Group C pool play
Saturday: No. 1 USA 82, No. 3 Australia 55 in Irapuato
— Grant: Started; 24 minutes, 6 points, 3–11 FG, 0–4 3PFG, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +21
Sunday: No. 1 USA 121, No. 12 Puerto Rico 36 in Irapuato
— Grant: Started; 26 minutes, 18 points, 6–13 FG, 4–8 3PFG, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +60 (team-high)
Tuesday: No. 1 USA 123, No. 9 Croatia 42 in Irapuato
— Grant: Started; 22 minutes, 17 points, 7–12 FG, 3–7 3PFG, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 3 steals, +34
Round of 16
Wednesday: No. 1 USA 114, No. 16 Egypt 34
— Grant: Started; 23 minutes, 15 points, 6–9 FG, 3–5 3PFG, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +50 (team-high)
Quarterfinals
Friday: No. 1 USA 95, No. 7 Japan 59
— Grant: Started; 25 minutes, 8 points, 3–8 FG, 0–4 3PFG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 1 block, +12
Semifinals
Saturday: No. 1 USA 84, No. 4 France 66
— Grant: Started; 14 minutes, 7 points, 3–6 FG, 0–1 3PFG, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, -2
Championship
Sunday: No. 1 USA 84, No. 2 Canada 64
— Grant: Started; 11 minutes, 6 points, 3–9 FG, 0–5 3PFG, 1 rebound, 1 foul, 1 turnover, +2
— Grant World Cup statistics: 7 games, 20.5 minutes, 11.0 points, 45.6% FG, 28.6 3PFG%, 83.3% FT, 2.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 of a foul, 1.6 turnovers, 0.1 of a block, +25.3
Projected roster if all players with eligibility other than Elina Aarnisalo, Lanie Grant,, Taliyah Henderson and Liza Ashtakhova and Liza Ashtakhova return, with years listed for next season (UNC is one below the 15-player limit)
| Year | No./ Stars | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 5 star | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 52/4 star | 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 | Sophie Burrows — X | G | 6–2 | ||
| Senior | 11 | 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 |
WW — Virginia transfer; — Virginia transfer; X — Syracuse transfer; Y — Oklahoma State transfer; X — Stanford transfer
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 screenshot from @usabjnt video
