By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Kate Harpring arrived at Carolina with the sort of lofty expectations that come with being at the top of your freshman class nationally.
The talented 5–10 guard will be a star on a veteran team that comes off back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, and Coach Courtney Banghart quickly declared her probably the fastest player on the team.
“With those accolades, definitely comes a lot of pressure,” Harpring said, who is No. 1 in the class, according to 247Sports, and No. 4, according to ESPN. “You definitely feel it.”
Banghart has been effusive about Harpring’s physical tools, comparing her explosiveness to Reniya Kelly, who returns for her senior season fully healthy, saying both are “twitchy” and hard to guard.
“[Harpring] can change directions; she can stop on a dime, sort of like Reniya in that way,” Banghart said. “But she’s also very fast east, north, south. She’s just a shot-maker. It’s really fun to watch her shoot.”
Harpring, who turned 18 in January, didn’t have to go far to find advice on dealing with the spotlight at a young age.
Her father, Matt Harpring, played 12 NBA seasons after three All-ACC seasons at Georgia Tech. That background made him a built-in resource for his daughter as she developed into a five-star recruit.
“He’s been my trainer. He’s been the person that’s helped me a lot with a lot of basketball growing up,” said Kate Harpring, Georgia’s all-time leading scorer (3,435 points) after averaging 29½ points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks as a senior.
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“He’s the person I always go to, and he’s been through it, which is super nice and super cool to have that type of person for me,” she said. “He just knows me better than anyone else, so he for sure helps me a lot.”
In the 1997–98 season, it took 42 points from Shammond Williams for UNC to escape Atlanta with a 107–100 double- overtime victory over Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels had to overcome 30 points and 16 rebounds from Matt Harpring. His No. 15 is retired, and he made the ACC’s 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team in 2003.
They both played for Marist School in Atlanta, and her dad’s fingerprints are visible in how she has approached the jump to college basketball, particularly in handling the expectations that come with being a top recruit.
He was Georgia’s “Mr. Basketball” and led Marist to a state title and a 32–0 record his senior season. She was “Miss Georgia Basketball” and led the War Eagles to state titles her junior and senior seasons with a combined 58–5 record.
“Offensively, Harpring is powerful with the basketball in her hands, but it’s her defensive prowess that continues to pave the way for me viewing her as the elite prospect in the class nationally,” wrote 247Sports director of women’s basketball scouting Brandon Clay during Harpring’s junior high school season. “Harpring is more than willing to draw the top offensive player while still going to the glass to rebound.”
The best piece of advice from her dad?
“Just work hard, keep the main thing the main thing, and basketball will work out for itself. Put in all the extra hours, put in your best in every practice or workout,” she said, echoing a philosophy that carried her father through a long, physical NBA career built on toughness rather than flash.
That mindset shows up in how she describes her game: rooted in competitiveness and a refusal to be outworked, traits that trace directly back to the example set at home.
That influence extended into her recruitment, even though it ultimately steered her away from his alma mater. With Kate growing up in Atlanta, plenty of people assumed she’d follow him to Georgia Tech. The Jackets were the first to offer her a scholarship in April 2022.
“It was definitely a very long process,” said Harpring, who went on a lot of unofficial and official visits. “I feel like with that I learned a lot, and I really figured out what I like and what I don’t like in programs.”
Carolina offered her a scholarship in January 2024, and the numerous powerhouses of women’s basketball followed, including UCLA, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, UConn, Texas and Duke.
In the end, it wasn’t close. On Aug. 9, 2025, Harpring picked Carolina and Banghart, who she called the “perfect coach for me” and the biggest part of her decision.
“I think she knows how to coach me and how I want to be coached, and then also, off the court, someone that you can go to with anything,” she said. “I feel like I can get better here. I feel like I really enjoy being around my teammates.”
Harpring offers an impressive mix of elite ball-handling, shooting and defense, plus a high basketball IQ that produces the kind of decision-making integral to championship teams.
“I think a big thing for me is my competitiveness,” Harpring said. “I feel like I’m a very tough player, and I really just put everything out on the floor. I think that’s a big thing. Also, like my IQ, I feel like a lot of guards are really focused on one thing, but I feel like I’m a very equally balanced player.”
Harpring’s toughness showed up long before she ever set foot on campus.
Playing for the East in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Glendale, Ariz., on March 31, Harpring skied for a rebound in the second quarter when her left shoulder popped out of the socket. She clutched at the shoulder, spun her arm and appeared to be in a lot of pain.
She returned to the bench with her left shoulder wrapped just a few minutes after leaving, then came back onto the floor to start the second half, scoring nine of her 14 points after halftime.
Harpring tore a labrum in eighth grade and had surgery that helped, but her shoulder still popped out again during one of her state championship games.
She can beat teams in different ways. Her versatile skill set is no surprise considering she played five sports until fourth grade. She cut that down to softball, tennis and basketball before ultimately choosing a basketball court over a tennis court.
She won tournaments and made a deep run in a national hard-court doubles tournament at 14 before basketball took over her time.
That versatility matters on a roster stacked with experienced lead guards, and Harpring said she’s benefited from being surrounded by veterans who already know what it takes to win at this level.
“It’s definitely good, especially coming in. I’m able to learn a little bit from people who have already been on that team,” she said.
Harpring got international experience in July 2025 as part of the gold-medal-winning United States team at the U19 World Cup, scoring in double figures three times, with 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds against China.
The jump from high school to battling Division I players has been an adjustment, mostly in the intensity she encounters every day in practice.
“Definitely the competitiveness in every practice. I feel like every practice is loud, and it’s very competitive in these gyms,” Harpring said. “Going from high school to college to play is really a big change for a lot of people, and I feel like as we keep playing, we’ll keep getting better.”
Her older teammates, meanwhile, have taken on something closer to a mentorship role, particularly when it comes to managing the move to the college level.
“I feel like the mental side of things, they’ve helped me a lot with,” Harpring said. “They know it’s a hard transition, and they know it’s not going to be easy. So, they’re always there, always encouraging you, helping me in that way.”
Banghart’s system, built around pace and pressure, appears to suit Harpring’s game naturally. She likes to play fast and says that she can easily slow it down and get into half-court actions as well, and will fit right into the high-pressure defenses.
“One of the things I feel like that separates me from other players is my good defense. I feel like I can defend, and then I can also use transition to my advantage,” she said.
Banghart doesn’t buy the notion that youth should be treated as a disadvantage in roster building, pointing to Harpring as an example of why she’s comfortable leaning on freshmen when the talent is there.
“The fact that Kate Harpring’s a freshman doesn’t really matter. Can she help you win right away? So, your age doesn’t matter,” Banghart said. “Experience only matters if they can play, and youth only matters if you can’t play.”
Clearly, Harpring can play.
| 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 |
UNC schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | |||
| 18 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Davidson (exhibition) |
| November | |||
| 2 | Monday | TBA | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No 12 Oklahoma |
| 8 | Sunday | TBA | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina |
| 11 | Wednesday | TBA | vs. N.C. Central |
| 14 | Saturday | TBA | at Penn in Palestra |
| WBCA Showcase | Orlando | ||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama |
| ——— | |||
| 24 | Tuesday | TBA | vs. Gardner-Webb |
| 27 | Friday | TBA | vs. Army |
| 29 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Brown |
| December | |||
| 2 | Wednesday | TBA | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU |
| 6 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Elon |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 13 | Sunday | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| 17 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Monday | TBA | vs. Norfolk State |
| 28 | Monday | TBA | vs. UNCW |
| 31 | Thursday | TBA | at Syracuse |
| January | |||
| 3 | Sunday | TBA | at Clemson |
| 7 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Wake Forest |
| 10 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 11 Louisville |
| 17 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Boston College |
| 21 | Thursday | TBA | at California |
| 24 | Sunday | TBA | at Stanford |
| 28 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 9 Notre Dame |
| 31 | Sunday | TBA | vs. No. 5 Duke |
| February | |||
| 4 | Thursday | TBA | at Miami |
| 7 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Virginia Tech |
| 14 | Sunday | TBA | at SMU |
| 18 | Thursday | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 21 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Florida State |
| 25 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 19 Virginia |
| 28 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 5 Duke |
| March | |||
| 3–7 | Wed.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
USA photos courtesy of FIBA; UNC photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
