By R.L. Bynum
Four-star 6–1 Brazilian forward Taissa Nascimento Queiroz became UNC’s third Class of 2025 commitment on Saturday, picking the Tar Heels over Washington, Gonzaga, Colorado, Kansas State and Utah.
Queiroz, who turns 19 in December, will graduate from Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, Calif., early and enroll at Carolina in January, according to 247 Sports.
She made the announcement in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night.
“I committed to North Carolina because I really liked my official visit and how truthful they were with me,” Queiroz told 247 Sports. “I really appreciate that. I saw a lot of things that I really liked. And, head coach Courtney Banghart is a really nice person. I think that she’s going to help me a lot — not just as a basketball player, but also as a woman. From now until when I get there, there will be a lot of differences and I think she’ll help a lot with that. I really trust her and her staff.”
Queiroz, ranked No. 76 in the class by ESPN, joins two five-star wings in UNC’s Class of 2025: No. 17-ranked Nyla Brooks of Alexandria, Va., and No. 21-ranked Taliyah Henderson of Tucson, Ariz.
Why enroll early at UNC, which offered her a scholarship on July 26?
“My goal is to establish myself with the rest of the girls and my new teammates,” she told 247 Sports. “After my freshman year, I’m trying to win conference tournaments and make NCAA Tournament appearances.”
She played for Brazil in four International tournaments, including the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, when she averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
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(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 FIBA
