By R.L. Bynum
Nyla Brooks’ supreme confidence matches her dazzling and versatile skills on the court.
Both were evident in the 6–1 five-star wing’s performance in two national all-star games and her assessment of what the incoming freshman will bring to North Carolina.
“I feel I can come in there and just ball out,” said Brooks, who had 28 points, 10 rebounds, two 3-pointers and two steals at the Jordan Brand Classic in Washington on April 18. “I feel like we all have the same goal — get better, be a great teammate, and just win some championships. That’s all we want to do is just win.”
She did a lot of that at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., leading her team to a 27–6 record and a Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Division I state title last season. In the state championship game, she collected 23 points and 12 rebounds. She also led the Cardinals to a title in The Thorn, a national tournament, with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the championship game.
Brooks wants to win ACC titles at UNC, but she also has her sights set on a national championship.
“Let’s do our thing,” she said. “Let’s dance. We want to play our best basketball at the end of March, beginning of April, so we could just go to the championship and win it.”
Considering that Brooks says Tennessee was her “dream school,” the Tar Heels were lucky to get her. She committed to the Lady Vols in November 2022 when she was a sophomore in high school. However, everything changed when Tennessee fired Coach Kellie Harper after the 2023–24 season, prompting Brooks to decommit. Coach Courtney Banghart offered her a scholarship that April.
“Things happen, and more blessings came upon myself,” said Brooks, who picked UNC over Tennessee, Maryland and Georgia last August and signed in November. “North Carolina came at me really hard. They recruited not only me, but my family as well.”
Brooks liked everything about UNC — from the basketball and the sports management program she wants to pursue, to the campus atmosphere, and the competition nearby from N.C. State and Duke.
“They’re a great coaching staff. They’re very successful, and I think we can win many championships with me coming on there and just making the impact,” Brooks said. “The teammates I have there that we are playing with for a couple of years … they’re pretty cool.”
Brooks, ranked No. 13 by ESPN in the Class of 2025, is part of a three-player freshman class that includes five-star 6–1 wing Taliyah Henderson (ranked 27th) and four-star 6–1 forward Taissa Queiroz (77th), who is already a Carolina student. In addition, Carolina has commitments from two transfers: sophomore 5–10 guard Elina Aarnisalo from UCLA and senior 6–2 forward Nyla Harris from Louisville.
Myanna, her 23-year-old sister, was with Nyla on her unofficial visit to Chapel Hill in August. Nyla remembers that Myanna was the “life of the party” as the sisters got to know the team and the staff.
Brooks already knew she was joining the right basketball family, but it was even clearer when Myanna passed away in January after dealing with various health issues the past few years, including needing a double lung transplant a few years earlier.
In a time of profound heartbreak and sadness, the love from her future teammates and coaches came pouring in.
“They showed a lot of love to my family,” said Brooks, who got numerous messages from players and coaches. “They sent flowers for my family, checked in on not only me but my parents and other siblings.”
Brooks brings a dynamic game to Carolina, with the ability to be a prolific scorer, rebound well, handle the ball, and play tough defense.
“I’m very versatile. I could do anything on the court. I can play on both ends of the court — defense and offense,” said Brooks, who had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals at the McDonald’s All-American game in Brooklyn on April 1. “I’m a three-level scorer. I can get to the basket whenever I want to.”
She describes her mid-range shot as “pretty pure” and says she’s made great progress with her 3-point shot.
“I can knock it down, catch and shoot, or one dribble and shoot,” she said of her perimeter ability. “I can do anything on the court. Whatever spot you put me in, I could do whatever I want. I give my all on the court and just ball out, do my thing on the court. Whatever you ask me to do as a coach. I would do it.”
It should be a treat for Tar Heels fans to watch what she brings to the program.
| 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 |
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
tarheeltribune.com 
1 Comment