Amidst the conclusion of Tar Heel football and the beginnings of Carolina men’s basketball, the UNC women’s basketball team has flown under the radar, despite starting its season 7-0 with wins over three Top 25 teams.

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The unbeaten Tar Heels just hopped back over to the mainland from an extended stay in paradise – on and off the court.

UNC claimed the Rainbow Wahine Showdown championship trophy Sunday in Honolulu with a 74-65 victory over Hawaii.

UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell says the trip was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity for her team.

“We’ve had a wonderful group of fans over; probably more than 100 have come over. We’ve had a blast. I tried to tell people before we came that this was a trip of a lifetime. It’s really a wonderful trip. The girls have had a great time. They have been first class on and off the court. I’m so proud of them. It’s such a great group,” Coach Hatchell says.

The Tar Heels came out on top in Hawaii (UNC Athletics)

The Tar Heels came out on top in Hawaii (UNC Athletics)

The biggest win for Carolina so far this season came in an emphatic 70-54 triumph over No. 8 Stanford. The Tar Heels overwhelmed the Cardinal with sharp shooting, fast break running and superior depth.

Last season, the Tar Heels advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before losing to, you guessed it, Stanford. Revenge was sweet this time around.

The rest of the nation has taken notice of the hot start by the Tar Heels. In the most recent AP top 25 poll, UNC jumped up five spots to No. 6 – a place the Tar Heels well deserve.

UNC returned every contributing player from last year’s squad save Diamond DeShields, who surprised everyone with her transfer to Tennessee. The Volunteers, by the way are 4-2 on the season and ranked fourteenth in the latest rankings.

In addition, Coach Hatchell has added one of the most talented incoming freshmen classes in the country, including point guard Jamie Cherry.

Coach Hatchell says the only thing missing from Cherry’s skill set is experience.

“Jamie’s just going to get better and better. She’s a freshman and still has some things to learn. The kid’s got skills. She can shoot and has great ball handling skills. She just needs experience,” Coach Hatchell says.

Latifah Coleman, on the other hand, has plenty of experience. The senior was named the tournament MVP last weekend thanks to her laser-like precision, hitting all four of her three-point attempts against Hawaii.

Coach Hatchell knows what it takes to cut down the nets at the end of the year, winning the 1994 national title. The Hall of Famer says this year’s group of Tar Heels is equipped with five essential tools that could get her a second banner.

“The strength of our team is in five things. First of all, we have great chemistry. We have leadership. We have balance, depth and we have talent,” Coach Hatchell says.

Chemistry. Leadership. Balance. Depth. Talent. That’s a quality quintet.