Off-season report: Looking at UNC women's basketball roster ahead of next season

With the UNC women's basketball season a little over four months away, here's a look at how the roster is fairing. 

Who's coming back? 

After the 2023-24 season ended at the hands of South Carolina — the eventual 2024 national champions — in a 88-41 loss, six players on UNC's roster entered the transfer portal. Non-starters like sophomore guard Paulina Paris, senior forward Alexandra Zelaya, senior forward Anya Poole, redshirt sophomore guard Teonni Key and first-year forward RyLee Grays all found new uniforms to don during the 2024-25 campaign. 

But senior guard Deja Kelly drew the most attention by transferring to Oregon after leading North Carolina's offense for the last four seasons. 

As an integral member of UNC’s lineup, Kelly started every year at North Carolina and led the scoring effort for three of those four years. Last season, the guard averaged a team-high 36.1 minutes of playing time. For the last three consecutive seasons, she also received First Team All-ACC honors. Kelly averaged around 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season. 

Even with these departures, graduate forward Alyssa Ustby and graduate sharpshooter Lexi Donarski will return to Carmichael Arena in 2024. Ustby averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season while Donarski averaged 10.5 points. Behind Kelly, both Ustby and Donarski were the second and third leading scorers, respectively. 

Transfer portal additions

With more scholarships available, Banghart and her staff went to work in the transfer portal, adding Richmond senior guard Grace Townsend and Arizona State sophomore guard Trayanna Crisp. 

Last season, Townsend averaged 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. With this performance, the guard received All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors and helped push the Spiders to a NCAA tournament No. 10 seed. 

During the 2023-24 year, Crisp averaged 12.1 points per game and shot 33.3 percent from behind the arc. Both transfer portal additions will look to strengthen the Tar Heel's backcourt in the absence of Kelly. 

Incoming class and redshirt adds 

After redshirting due to injury last season, both first-year forward Ciera Toomey and first-year guard Laila Hull will see action this upcoming season. 

Coming out of high school, Toomey ranked No. 4 in ESPN's overall players in the class of 2023. The first-year was also named Max Preps Pennsylvania Player of the Year as a junior and received all-state honoree three separate times. 

Next season, the Tar Heels will add three first-years headlined by five-star recruits Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant — who both rank within ESPN's top-60 recruits in the class of 2024. 

Standing at 6-foot-5, Thomas ranked as high as No. 32 and will join junior Maria Gakdeng at the center position. Grant will also add much-needed depth to the guard room along with incoming first-year shooting guard Jordan Zubich. 

Even with these returners and recruits, the Tar Heels still have one scholarship left to fill. Even with that spot open, North Carolina sits at No. 17 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early rankings.

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