By R.L. Bynum
Elina Aarnisalo’s connection with Carolina coach Courtney Banghart goes back years — long before she set foot in Chapel Hill.
Banghart relentlessly pursued the dynamic 5–10 combo guard from Helsinki, Finland, calling her once a week for two years before losing her recruiting battle with UCLA.
Given a second chance, Banghart texted Aarnisalo within a day of her entering the transfer portal and secured her commitment about a week later.
“She’s someone I’ve loved for a long time,” Banghart said. “She’s really shifty, makes great decisions and has incredible vision. When she went into the portal, it was an easy call.”
For Aarnisalo, their history and the trust that came with it played a significant role in her decision to play for the coach who had been in her corner all along. UNC was one of her favorite schools before she picked UCLA, and their first phone conversation reminded her of the relationship they already had.
“Knowing Coach Banghart already from my high school recruitment, that kind of pushed me towards UNC,” said Aarnisalo, who visited Carolina the same weekend she visited Iowa. “I knew what kind of impact she could have as a head coach. Then, once I visited and met the players, I knew this was the right place. Meeting the coaches in person, meeting the players, that made my decision.”
Aarnisalo, who turned 20 last month, made a quick splash last season as a freshman at UCLA, starting the first seven games while point guard Kiki Rice nursed a shoulder injury. She was impressive in wins over Colgate (19 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) and Pepperdine (16 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds) and made an impression on South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in the Bruins’ 77–62 upset of the then-No. 1 Gamecocks.
“I thought Elina did a great job,” Staley said after Aarnisalo collected 13 points, four assists and three rebounds. “It was fun watching her on film. I was hoping she would come off the bench and not get as many minutes, but she’s the one that was really, really impressive.”
Aarnisalo was new to the American game, but she was already familiar with Staley’s lofty stature and accomplishments.
“It felt really nice and incredible,” Aarnisalo said. “And coming from her, it gave me a good confidence boost, too.”
During a five-game early-season stretch, she averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 60.1% from the floor and 43.3% from 3-point range. Her two free throws with 3.8 seconds left on Feb. 23 gave UCLA a 67–65 road win over Iowa.
Aarnisalo, who started only three games after Rice returned to the starting lineup (averaging 21 minutes, 5.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds for the season), left a UCLA program that was ranked No. 1 for 14 weeks and made the Final Four. She got a good look at what Final Four talent looks like, and she says that the Tar Heels have it.
“I see we have every piece that we need,” she said. “I see players who can play one-on-one defense. I see how we can create offense in different ways. We can use our bigs — they move really well, they can shoot from 3, they can post up. We have guards who can shoot, players who can create off the dribble. We just have to put it together and start playing for each other.”
She represented Finland’s national youth teams for the first of five consecutive years in European competitions when she was 16 years old. She averaged 23.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4 assists at the 2021 FIBA U16 Women’s European Challengers.
Aarnisalo grew up in a system very different from the American basketball pipeline, which includes high school and AAU teams. In Finland, there are only club teams, which often connect directly to professional leagues.
As a standout player, she played at the professional level, first in the Korisliiga, Finland’s top-tier professional basketball league (averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 46.7% in the EuroCup).
Aarnisalo took that path a step further, leaving Finland for Belgium while still in high school to play in one of Europe’s top leagues — a move few teenagers make.
She lived away from home for the first time, playing for Kangoeroes Mechelen in the BNXT League (averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 45.5% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range) while studying online during her senior year in high school.
“I would say I was kind of an exception,” she said. “That was something I don’t think any other player had done while they were in high school. The year was great in Belgium — living alone, playing with professional players and getting that experience.”
She competed many times against much more experienced players, including former Carolina star and WNBA first-round draft pick Stephanie Watts, who is eight years older. Watts, whose UNC career ended in 2021, played for a Spanish team, and their teams met once in Belgium and once in Spain.
With all of that seasoning, she’s far from your typical sophomore.
“You don’t have to teach her the lingo or the decision-making,” Banghart said. “She’s like, ‘I got it.’ The international experience has helped there. It’s also helped with her confidence. She knows she can contribute, and she knows the language better.”
After years of FIBA rules, Aarnisalo, who speaks English, Finnish, Swedish and German, had to adjust to the American game. The biggest difference was transitioning from a 24-second shot clock in Europe to a 30-second shot clock (an adjustment that freshman Russian wing Liza Astakhova and, on the men’s side, Montenegrin wing Luka Bogavac must also make).
“That makes the game a lot slower,” she said. “Offense is simpler in college. In Europe, I feel like players’ IQs are a little bit better, of course. If they are 27-year-olds, they have a lot more experience than college-level basketball players. On the other hand, college players are more athletic and stronger. So, the physicality is just a bit different.”
Her lateral quickness allows her to guard multiple positions on defense without fouling and also rebound well for a guard. But she had to adjust to college officiating.
“I am pretty athletic. I can move in lateral ways,” she said. “The first year was kind of an adjustment to college-level defense. It’s different. You can’t use your arms on the offensive player’s body, compared to Europe, where you can have your hands everywhere. This year, I can actually show my defensive skills a lot more.”
In the United States, young players have trainers who help them work on their individual skills. She didn’t have that in Finland, so she leaned on older players who she says taught her a lot.
“If I made a mistake, they told me what to do better,” she said. “In Europe, they emphasize a lot just playing the game.”
At UCLA, Aarnisalo was part of one of the deepest backcourts in the country and a four-player freshman class ranked No. 4 in the country, but all four players entered the transfer portal after the season.
“I was just looking for a different kind of environment,” she said. “You could argue a different kind of role in a team, too.”
The other three — guard Avary Cain to Oregon, forward Kendall Dudley to Michigan and forward Zania Socka-Nguemen to Indiana — all transferred to other Big Ten schools.
“It was all independent decisions,” she said. “Everybody was probably looking for something different. We all had our own reasons why we left.”
Banghart targeted Aarnisalo and Louisville transfer forward Nyla Harris in the portal because they both filled specific needs.
“Sometimes we lacked facilitators last year, across the guard spots,” Banghart said of Aarnisalo. “And she can dribble, shoot and pass in so many different ways. She can play on the ball or off the ball. I think the ball will move a little bit more.”
Her ability to easily read pick-and-rolls makes her a threat passing or scoring. Aarnisalo describes herself as a combo guard who likes to drive to the basket and score or facilitate.
“Either it’s my one-on-one offense that I’m creating for myself, or my teammates,” she said. “As a point guard, people can say I have a good understanding of the game, a high IQ, which makes my game look easy and [gives] me the possibility to give really good passes — and sometimes flashy passes too.”
A fan of the New York Liberty, she loves the play of Sabrina Ionescu and Marine Johannes.
“Their offensive skill sets are incredible,” Aarnisalo said. “I like watching how they score, and I try to add that to my game. I love how flashy [Johannes] is, and how she can make incredible passes. So that’s how I try to be creative and bring like fun ideas to my offense, too.”
She expects to fit in well with a talented Carolina backcourt that includes returning point guards Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant.
“We can play together, create for others. And that’s where we can be really dangerous, creating for others,” Aarisalo said. “Have me and Lanie on the same side, other one using the ball screen, other one coming out from the lift, and that’s a wide open three. We can just create for each other.”
Before they became teammates, Aarnisalo and Harris went head-to-head in Paris, where UCLA beat Louisville 66–59 in last season’s opener. It wasn’t the Cardinals’ day, but Harris made an impression on her current UNC teammate.
“I remember her being really physical; really impressed by her skills,” Aarnisalo said. “She’s super athletic for her size. She’s a big player, but she can really move. She can guard on the 3-point line. I was positively surprised, kind of shocked about how well she could move and be that athletic, great finisher around the rim.”
There will also be an intriguing game next season in a major city: Aarnisalo will face many of her former teammates when the Tar Heels take on UCLA at the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas on Nov. 13.
“I’m excited to play against them,” Aarnisalo said. “They’re really good friends to me. To play against them, to see some of the coaches again. Of course, I’m there to play for UNC and to I want to win the game. But I feel like it’ll be nice to see my teammates again.”
Aarnisalo, whose older sister is in dental school in Finland, said that her parents attended a couple of games around Christmas last season and plan to see some UNC games this season.
From Helsinki to Belgium to Los Angeles and now Chapel Hill, Aarnisalo has experienced some stark contrasts.
“Chapel Hill is a lot more of a college campus than L.A. and UCLA,” she said. “I like the atmosphere. The vibes are incredible here, seeing how all college students support all sports. It’s really incredible to see.”
Those students and all Tar Heels fans are eager to see how Aarnisalo’s dynamic ability blends in with UNC’s talented roster.
| 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 Texas | 8–2 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 82–40 | vs. Boston Univ. | 9–2 |
| 14 | Sunday | L, 76–66, OT | vs. No. 9 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 No. 23 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 |
UNC practice photos courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications; Finland action photo courtesy of FIBA
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