Courtney Banghart added to her Class of 2023 in a big way Monday night, as Carolina earned a commitment from five-star center Ciera Toomey of Pennsylvania. Toomey is rated as a 98/100 overall by ESPN and the third-best player in her class.

At six feet, four inches, Toomey will be tied with forward Alexandra Zelaya for the tallest player on Banghart’s roster when she steps on campus. Competing at Dunmore High School in northeast Pennsylvania, Toomey draw the attention of practically every major women’s college basketball program in the country. She committed to Carolina over offers from Duke, Maryland and Connecticut. Toomey will be the second player in three cycles, along with Teonni Key, to have chosen the Tar Heels over the 11-time champion Huskies.

Toomey is the reigning MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year, having led Dunmore to a 25-2 record while scoring 18.5 points per game on 67.2 percent shooting. Her presence in Chapel Hill could provide the Tar Heels the elite post player they have desperately needed, as none of Banghart’s starters this past season stand taller than six feet, three inches. Carolina’s lack of depth in the post was exposed in a big way during the team’s Sweet 16 loss to South Carolina in March, as the Gamecocks’ star center Aliyah Boston scored 28 points and grabbed 22 rebounds down low.

Toomey is the second five-star recruit in the Class of 2023 to commit to Banghart and the Tar Heels, joining point guard Reniya Kelly, who is ranked as the No. 11 player in the class.

 

Featured image via The Scranton Times-Tribune

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
5-Star Prospect Kate Harpring Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels may have just won their biggest recruiting battle ever. Point guard Kate Harpring, a five-star prospect from Atlanta ranked among the top five players in the 2026 recruiting class on every major board, committed to Banghart and UNC Saturday. Go Tar Heels!! 🩵🩵#committed pic.twitter.com/RbzpiYqJOZ — Kate Harpring (@Kate_Harpring26) August […]
5-Star Prospect Nyla Brooks Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
Courtney Banghart has secured another big win on the recruiting trail. Nyla Brooks, who is rated as a five-star prospect in the recruiting class of 2025, committed to Banghart and the Tar Heels on Thursday. Brooks is the second five-star prospect in the class to commit to Carolina in the span of a week, as […]
5-Star Forward Blanca Thomas Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
Courtney Banghart earned another big win on the recruiting trail Monday, as five-star forward Blanca Thomas announced her commitment to the Tar Heels. Home. 🩵🩵 @uncwbb pic.twitter.com/3bhuboufIJ — Blanca Thomas (@blancathomas34) May 29, 2023 Thomas chose the Tar Heels over several other elite programs, including South Carolina, NC State, Stanford, Notre Dame and Duke. Thomas, […]
2 UNC Women's Basketball Recruits Win Gatorade Player of the Year Honors
A pair of incoming Tar Heels earned prestigious high school accolades earlier this month. Laila Hull and Reniya Kelly were each named the Girls’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states — Hull in Indiana and Kelly in Alabama. Next stop: Chapel HillWE CAN'T WAIT! 👏#GoHeels | @laila_hull | @ReniyaKelly pic.twitter.com/7uCt8543Zf — […]
Four-Star Prospect RyLee Grays Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
UNC women’s basketball program. RyLee Grays, a 2023 four-star prospect from Houston, TX, committed to head coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels Sunday. She chose Carolina from among a field which included Texas, Baylor, Florida, NC State and Ole Miss. Tar Heel Nation!! […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dominates North Carolina A&T For First Road Win
UNC used a strong second quarter to pull away from North Carolina A&T early and cruise from there to an 85-50 win against the Aggies in Greensboro Thursday night. It’s Carolina’s first win of the season in a true road environment. A road 𝘿𝙐𝘽 well earned 💪@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/Vhl9obZTYY — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) […]
No. 3 UCLA Pulls Away in 2nd Half, Deals UNC Women's Basketball First Loss of Season
No. 3 UCLA used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to blow open what had been a close game, and the Bruins cruised from there to beat UNC 78-60 in the first game of the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas Thursday night. The Tar Heels had hung tough with the Bruins during the first […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. UCLA (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
Carolina heads to Las Vegas this week for two neutral-site games as part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Challenge. The first game is a marquee matchup, as the Tar Heels will face No. 3 UCLA Thursday night. The Bruins are coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four this past spring. […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dominates 2nd Half, Rolls Past Elon
Despite leading by only nine points at halftime, Carolina pulled away from Elon in the second half to earn a 71-37 win at Carmichael Arena Thursday night. Keep It Rolling 👏@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/x0EvUF0Rst — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 7, 2025 The Tar Heels had shot just 10-33 (30.3 percent) in a low-scoring first […]
UNC Women's Basketball to Face South Carolina in 2026 Ally Tipoff
Another fixture for the UNC women’s basketball program’s 2026-27 season took shape Thursday morning. The Tar Heels announced they will take on perennial power South Carolina in the 2026 Ally Tipoff at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte next fall. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 ➡️Queen City 👑 📰 | https://t.co/jozvB0BhbR pic.twitter.com/Rum7Lj9cXL — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 6, 2025 […]
›