Covering Carolina sports beyond just men's basketball and football — with the most complete women's basketball coverage
The ascension of the Carolina women’s basketball program to national prominence reached another level Tuesday when the Tar Heels made the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years. The Tar Heels are No. 12, the highest ranking for UNC since earning that same rank on Jan. 19, 2015, in a season that they advanced to the Sweet 16.
CHARLOTTE — Coach Courtney Banghart is so confident that her fourth Carolina women’s basketball team will make a deep NCAA tournament run that she wanted her team to get some time at home this summer to prepare for a long season. She took her Tar Heels on a whitewater rafting trip to West Virginia in the summer of 2021 for a team-bonding trip. Instead of doing that last summer, she told her players to spend some time at home.
CHARLOTTE — Driving around in a 2014 Ford Fusion while she was a star high school player in Texas, Deja Kelly could never have imagined the ride she’d have while playing at Carolina. After college athletes were allowed to use their name, image and likeness (NIL) to earn money in the summer of 2021, the world of college sports has changed. Kelly’s world has followed along at a pace that’s as impressive as for any women’s basketball player in the country.
CHARLOTTE — Of the many crucial elements to building a successful program, recruiting — and doing it the right way — is at the top of the list. A Carolina women’s basketball program expected to be a national contender in Coach Courtney Banghart’s fourth season in Chapel Hill didn’t get to this level by just stacking talent without regard to what kind of people she brings in.
You knew it wasn’t a good sign when Kayla McPherson used crutches to get to the bench before the Live Action With Carolina Basketball scrimmage, and that was confirmed Monday. Coach Courtney Banghart announced that the 5–8 redshirt freshman guard from Hull, Ga., will be sidelined for the start of the season after she suffered a lower-body injury and is scheduled to have surgery this week.
CHARLOTTE — It’s ACC Tipoff week, and you can stream all press conferences on ACC Network Extra (ESPN3). The event is being held at The Westin Charlotte, with the women’s players and coaches talking with the media on Tuesday and the men’s players and coaches taking their turn on Wednesday.
CHAPEL HILL — Excitement was in the air in the Smith Center on Friday night, with the most combined anticipation for Carolina’s men’s and women’s teams in years. It was a fun night for all involved at Live Action With Carolina Basketball, although starts on both teams didn’t play in the scrimmages.
It’s the week to show how highly ESPN regards UNC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. Earlier this week, ESPN gave both high seeds in its early NCAA tournament bracket projection, and on Thursday, both were high in its preseason Top 25 list.
North Carolina’s women’s basketball team will reportedly play a scrimmage closed to the public on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Carmichael Arena against reigning national champion South Carolina. This is according to a report in The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C. A UNC spokesperson said that the school won’t announce or confirm any details about preseason scrimmages before or after they happen since they are intended to be closed team activities.
As basketball season gets closer, the anticipation grows for Tar Heels fans, with the expectations high for Carolina’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. Bracket projections in October are, of course, ridiculous, but ESPN’s projections that came out Tuesday confirm that national observers think highly of both teams.
tarheeltribune.com 