Five-star UNC recruit Toomey leads team to state title 10 months after ACL surgery

A year after enduring the pain of tearing her right ACL and the anxiety of not knowing what would come next, Ciera Toomey led Dunmore High School to its first Pennsylvania Class 3A state title on Thursday night. There were doubts about whether the highest-ranked of Carolina’s talented four-player incoming freshman class would recover in time to play her senior season. She still is working her way back to being the player she was before the injury but it was remarkable that Toomey even played this season.

Todd-Williams says that her decision to leave UNC had nothing to do with money

Kennedy Todd-Williams said Friday that her decision to enter the transfer portal after two seasons at North Carolina wasn’t driven by NIL possibilities or money. “Has nothing to do with money,” Todd-Williams said in a Twitter direct message. “It’s never been about that. It’s about doing what’s best for me regardless of the situation here.”

UNC’s talented junior class will be the core of national contender next season

COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Courtney Banghart got the North Carolina job, her first recruiting calls were to the members of the talented junior class that have put the Tar Heels program back in the national spotlight. The core of that group — guard Deja Kelly, wing Kennedy Todd-Williams, forward Alyssa Ustby and center Anya Poole — fell short of its lofty goals with a heartbreaking 71–69 loss to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Monday afternoon.

UNC-Ohio State battle of two torrid defensive teams that battle inconsistency

COLUMBUS, Ohio —With two of the toughest defensive teams in the country who also have had consistency issues in a few stretches, it’s difficult to know what to expect when No. 20-ranked North Carolina and No. 12-ranked Ohio State battle for a Sweet 16 berth on Monday. The No. 3-seed Buckeyes (26–7) lost three in a row and went 7–7 their first 19 games. The No. 6-seed Tar Heels (22–10) dropped four straight in late December and early January, and lost three of four in February. The latter stretch, though, was without starters Alyssa Ustby and Eva Hodgson.

Carolina’s battle with Ohio State for Sweet 16 berth draws early start time

No. 20-ranked North Carolina plays on Ohio State’s home court for a berth in the Sweet 16 at 4 p.m. Monday in a game that will air on ESPN. The No. 6-seed Tar Heels’ game against the No. 12-ranked and No. 6-seed Buckeyes (26–7) at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, is the initial second-round NCAA tournament game of the day.