CHAPEL HILL– UNC women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell will be stepping away from her on-court coaching duties for the time being, due to a recent leukemia diagnosis.

Hatchell says she has the highest confidence in her doctors at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she will be receiving treatment.

“I am going to be involved in a treatment plan established by Dr. Pete Voorhees, medical oncologist, and his team from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center,” says Hatchell.  “I have the utmost confidence in my doctors. There is a reason why the North Carolina Cancer Hospital ranks as one of the top cancer facilities in the nation.

Hatchell says she will remain with the team and return to her sideline coaching as soon as possible.

“I will remain very much involved with my team and day-to-day operations here at UNC and expect to return to my sideline responsibilities as soon as possible. My veteran staff and team will be well prepared and meet any challenges until my return,” Coach Hatchell says.

Men’s basketball coach Roy Williams voiced his condolences on the disturbing news.

“I’m heartbroken for Sylvia, Sammy and Van. I know how much Sylvia loves to coach and compete with her team so any time that she misses will be difficult. But she’s tough and she will fight this with everything she has. All of us at Carolina and all of her friends in the coaching community will support her 100 percent in this fight,” Coach Williams says.

Dr. Voorhees, of the Lineberger Center, says Hatchell is a strong lady, and he is optimistic that she will do well.

“Sylvia has our complete support and is in our thoughts and prayers for a full recovery,” says Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “Sylvia is a fighter and her enduring spirit will aid her greatly. Her staff and players, family and members of the athletics and University community will do what we can to bolster those efforts. Sylvia has been a long-time supporter of the Lineberger Center and is in the best hands possible.”

Last month, Hatchell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. This year is set to be Hatchell’s 39th as a head coach and her 28th with the Tar Heels. She has an overall record of 908-321. That makes her one of only three head coaches in women’s basketball to win more than 900 games. Hatchell currently stands second in all-time wins with 908 and is first among active coaches.

Associate Head Coach Andrew Calder will assume the leadership role in Hatchell’s absence.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Women's Basketball Defeats Bucknell
The University of North Carolina women’s basketball game improved to 3-0 on Sunday evening with a 65-50 win over Bucknell University in Carmichael Arena. The game featured three Tar Heels in double digits, as junior guard Jamie Cherry and red-shirt sophomore Paris Kea scored 15 and 13 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Stephanie Watts, who was […]
UNC Holds Out for 71-67 Win
The North Carolina women’s basketball team picked up its second consecutive win with a suspenseful 71-67 victory over Virginia Tech on Thursday night in Carmichael Arena. UNC now stands at 14-12 on the season with a 4-7 ACC record. The nail-biting victory came at the hands of several Tar Heels, with four players scoring double […]
UNC Freshman Taliyah Henderson to Enter Transfer Portal
Taliyah Henderson, who spent her freshman season with UNC, has announced her intention to enter the transfer portal when it opens Monday, April 6. Henderson made the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/yQoYiWcE8a — Taliyah Henderson (@taliyah_hend3) April 2, 2026 Henderson was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 27 overall player in […]
UNC Sophomore Guard Lanie Grant to Enter Transfer Portal
Sophomore guard Lanie Grant, who helped lead UNC to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2025 and 2026, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens Monday, April 6. Grant made the announcement on social media Wednesday evening. Proud of everything we accomplished over the past two years with my teammates and coaches, and so […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 1 UConn in NCAA Sweet 16
UNC could not generate enough offense to run with No. 1 UConn in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in Fort Worth, TX Friday evening, falling to the undefeated Huskies 63-42. The Tar Heels’ season is over in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. The Tar Heels struggled against a suffocating UConn defense all […]
UNC Women's Basketball in the 2026 NCAA Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
Carolina will compete in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 1 overall seed and defending champion UConn in Fort Worth, TX Friday. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: UConn
UNC will play in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season Friday in Fort Worth, TX. If Carolina wants to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014, it will have to spring a major upset over the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and defending champion: UConn. The Huskies are […]
Chansky's Notebook: On the Rise
Courtney Banghart has the pieces in place to take the UNC women's basketball program to the next level in the coming years.
UNC Women's Basketball Beats No. 5 Seed Maryland to Advance to NCAA Sweet 16
No. 4 seed UNC outscored No. 5 Maryland 24-16 in the fourth quarter and beat the Terrapins 74-66 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels now advance to the tournament’s Sweet 16, which will be played in Fort Worth, TX next week. SO 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏. pic.twitter.com/ZfyaHTTQsx — Carolina […]
UNC Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Opponent Breakdown: Maryland
No. 4 seed UNC will face No. 5 seed Maryland Sunday at Carmichael Arena with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The winner will play in the regional semifinals in Fort Worth, TX next week. Carolina is seeking its second consecutive trip to the Sweet 16. The Terrapins defeated No. 12 seed […]
›