By R.L. Bynum
Kayla McPherson came to Carolina as a four-star point guard full of star power, but after four years in Chapel Hill defined by promise and perseverance as she battled knee injuries and endured six surgeries, she announced Tuesday that she is retiring as a player.
McPherson, a redshirt senior, will be on the sidelines next season as a student assistant, a role she also held unofficially last season.
“Wearing the UNC jersey has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” said McPherson, whose parents played at Western Kentucky.
“This program has given me more than I could ever imagine, and the memories we’ve made together will stay with me forever,” she said. “To the incredible fans at Carmichael — thank you for your love, your energy, and your unwavering support.”
McPherson was a McDonald’s All-American from Madison County High School in Hull, Ga., where she averaged 36.3 points in the 2019–20 season, and scored 64 points in a game as a sophomore. But redshirted during her first year in Chapel Hill to recover and rehab from a high school injury.
After scoring eight points in her college debut on Jan. 29, 2023, a 69–58 win at Clemson, she showed off her speed and ability in scoring 14 points and dishing out four assists in her home debut on Feb. 2, a 73–62 victory over Virginia.
“It was the greatest experience I could have ever had,” she said in a video posted on social media, remembering that Virginia game. “I was just so excited to finally be able to step in front of the fans. That was something I had looked forward to for around two years, and it was just so cool to actually be out there.”
Ten days later, the joy was evident in her smiles as she produced the best performance of her career, scoring 22 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out three assists in a 73–55 home blowout of Boston College (the top photo is from that game), earning her ACC Freshman of the Week honors.
After averaging 6.8 points in 13 games as a redshirt freshman, including playing 24 minutes in an NCAA tournament loss at Ohio State, she was limited to seven games in the 2023–24 season because of another devastating knee injury. That led to her sixth surgery at UNC.
She played 28 minutes in a home loss to South Carolina on Nov. 30, 2023, in what turned out to be her final game.
“Six surgeries. Thousands of hours in the training room. And still, Kayla never quit,” said Coach Courtney Banghart. “It has been an absolute privilege to witness her grit, her resilience, and her unwavering love for this game and her teammates. The reality of her playing career has come to an end, but the legacy of her spirit — her fight, her leadership —will live on.”
McPherson’s passion for basketball will now be fully channeled into her role on the sidelines, helping the team.
“This journey has been filled with challenges, growth, and joy,” said McPherson, who played 20 career games. “I’m grateful for every second. Though I’m stepping off the court, I’ll always be a Tar Heel.”
| 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. 10 Louisville | 9–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 | Wednesday | W, 84–34 | vs. UNCW | 10–3 |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 93–74 | vs. Charleston Southern | 11–3 |
| 29 | Monday | W, 90–38 | at Boston College | 12–3, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | W, 71–55 | vs. California | 13–3, 2–0 |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 77–71, OT | vs. Stanford | 13–4, 2–1 |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 73–50 | at Notre Dame | 13–5, 2–2 |
| 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 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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