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Coming off two impressive victories to finish the regular season, North Carolina jumped two spots to No. 16 in the latest AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll. It’s the highest ranking for the Tar Heels (23–5, 13–5 ACC), the No. 4 seed in this week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro, since they were No. 15 for the final four polls of the 2014–15 season. That team finished 26–9 and lost to South Carolina in the Greensboro Regional semifinal.
CHAPEL HILL — The No. 18 North Carolina women left little question that they have the momentum to put together a memorable March by finishing off their first regular-season sweep of Duke in eight years. The Tar Heels were already punishing Duke with their inside attack, so when a few perimeter shots finally fell, it became an impressive 74–46 senior day romp Sunday in front of a raucous, season-high 5,230 fans at Carmichael Arena.
No. 18 North Carolina has some big goals that it can meet in the last week of the regular season and easily kept them possible Thursday night. Beating a feisty Virginia team on its senior night wasn’t easy, tough. The Tar Heels led by 21 in the first half but Virginia fought back and made them earn a physical 68–57 victory. Carolina battled through its worst perimeter shooting night of the season by again being tough on defense and repeatedly beating the Cavaliers in transition.
When star sophomore Carolina guard Deja Kelly signed a big endorsement deal last week, building her brand and making a difference were as important to her as the money, which is the envy of former college athletes who never got this chance. Gone are the days of scholarship athletes pinching pennies because they weren’t allowed to make money off the court, thanks to the NCAA giving them the right to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL).
As North Carolina continues its breakthrough season in Coach Courtney Banghart’s third year, the comparisons to a Tar Heels team that made the Sweet 16 team seven years ago keep piling up. Another one got added Monday. The Tar Heels (21–5, 11–5 ACC) jumped six spots to No. 18 Monday in the AP Top 25 poll after winning at home against Louisville (23–3, 14–2) 66–65 (which fell one spot to No. 4) and at Florida State 64–49. It’s the highest UNC rank since that 2014–15 team finished the season 26–9 and ranked No. 15.
No matter how ugly it might have been, UNC’s women were happy to battle through it all to finally get a victory over Florida State. It helped that sophomore guard Deja Kelly was pouring in the points, distributing the ball and playing solid defense. The No. 24 Tar Heels didn’t play nearly as well as in their upset Thursday of No. 3 Louisville. But they pulled away with a 16–3 fourth-quarter run for a 64–49 win to snap a six-game losing streak against the Seminoles with their first win in Tallahassee, Fla., since 2014.
The ascent of Carolina’s women’s basketball program under Coach Courtney Banghart has been on a clear path to becoming a national-title contender next season. With their talent, poise and determined mindset, though, the Tar Heels showed Thursday night that they might just be ready to do some damage this season. No. 3 Louisville (22–3, 12–2 ACC) is no doubt convinced after losing 66–65 at Carmichael Arena to the No. 23 Tar Heels (20–5, 10–5).
CHAPEL HILL — Most Carolina players were in elementary school the last time the Tar Heels beat Louisville nearly 14 years ago. None of them remember that NCAA tournament victory, but they’ll never forget the No. 23 Tar Heels’ 66–65 upset of No. 3 Louisville at Carmichael Arena on Thursday night. It was a signature win and their biggest since knocking off No. 1 Notre Dame in 2019.
North Carolina, one of 10 ranked teams to lose last week, fell one spot to No. 24 in the AP Top 25 women’s poll released Monday after beating Pittsburgh 64–54 and losing Sunday at Virginia Tech 66–61. The Hokies, who have played like a ranked team for a few weeks, finally debuted in the poll at No. 23 after also defeating Georgia Tech 73–63 to give the ACC six ranked teams.
When North Carolina blew out Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill last month, the Tar Heels limited one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the ACC. On Sunday, whenever the No. 23 Tar Heels tried to make a run, big Virginia Tech 3-pointers kept them at arm’s length in a physical battle.
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina guard Eva Hodgson is the perfect example of a player who brings energy and versatility off the bench, and she’s done it all season. When she entered the No. 23 Tar Heels’ 64–54 Thursday victory over Pittsburgh late in the first quarter, she scored a pair of 3-pointers in 64 seconds. By the time she returned to the bench 11 minutes later, she already had nine of her 14 points, three of her five rebounds and a steal. When a 10–0 Panthers run cut UNC’s lead to seven in the fourth quarter, she shot down their chances.
After two impressive blowout ACC victories last week, North Carolina moved up one spot to No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll. The Tar Heels (18–4, 8–4 ACC), who won 78–59 at Wake Forest on Thursday and 85–38 Sunday at Carmichael Arena against Miami, more than doubled their poll points from 66 to 136.
CHAPEL HILL — With an attention-getting blowout of a good Miami team, No. 24 North Carolina showed that it belongs in the upper-tier of the rugged ACC and that Deja Kelly is still one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. No. 4 Louisville and Miami are the only conference teams to defeat No. 12 Georgia Tech. But the Hurricanes never had a chance against a UNC team that played well in all phases of an 85–38 victory Sunday at Carmichael Arena.
WINSTON-SALEM — After battling four talented ranked ACC teams in the last five games, No. 24 North Carolina took full advantage of a night against a struggling league team. The Tar Heels’ 78–59 win over Wake Forest looked and felt like many of their dominant games of their 13-game unbeaten streak, particularly in the first half, and they led by 29 midway through the final quarter.
North Carolina gave AP Top 25 women’s poll voters plenty of reasons to correct their error of a week ago when they dropped the Tar Heels out of the poll after seven consecutive weeks. Add the fact that two teams ranked No. 21 or below lost and fell out of this week’s poll helped put UNC No. 24 this week after being ranked No. 20 two weeks ago.
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