The five freshmen and three incoming transfers on the UNC women’s basketball team have picked their jersey numbers for the 2023-24 season.

Guard Laila Hull from Zionsville, IN will wear No. 4, which was last worn by Kennady Tucker during the 2019-20 season — Courtney Banghart’s first as Carolina head coach. Joining Hull in the backcourt will be Reniya Kelly (Hoover, AL) wearing No. 10 and Sydney Barker (Jordan High School in Durham, N.C.) wearing No. 15. Kelly will take over the No. 10 jersey from Eva Hodgson, who graduated last spring after two seasons with the Tar Heels. Barker’s No. 15 jersey was last worn by Olivia Smith in 2019-20.

A pair of freshmen will add to the Tar Heels’ frontcourt presence: RyLee Grays (Pearland, TX) and five-star Ciera Toomey (Dunmore, PA), the highest-rated UNC signee in the class. Toomey will don No. 21 for the Tar Heels, which was last worn by senior Malu Tshitenge last season. Grays will wear No. 22, last worn by Shayla Bennett in 2019-20.

Incoming transfers Maria Gakdeng (Boston College), Indya Nivar (Stanford) and Lexi Donarski (Iowa State) also chose their jersey numbers. Gakdeng will wear No. 5, last worn by Stephanie Watts during the 2020-21 season. Nivar chose No. 24, last worn by Morasha Wiggins during the 2021-22 season. Donarski will don No. 20, which was previously worn by Destiny Adams last season. Adams has since transferred to Rutgers.

As for returning players, everyone will keep the same jersey number from last season, with the exception of redshirt sophomore guard Kayla McPherson. McPherson will switch from No. 14 to No. 11.

Check out the entire roster for the 2023-24 season here.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Basketball on Twitter

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
‹
UNC Women's Basketball to Face South Carolina in Preseason Exhibition
The UNC women’s basketball team will face South Carolina in a preseason exhibition game in Atlanta on Thursday, October 30. The game will be played in State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. See you in the ATL 👋 pic.twitter.com/DmpCp88lIG — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) July 29, 2025 South Carolina has won the […]
UNC Women's Basketball to Play in 2025 Cancun Challenge
UNC will join three other programs to play in the 2025 Cancun Challenge in Mexico this November. The Tar Heels will be joined by Columbia, Kansas State and South Dakota State south of the border as part of the challenge’s Mayan Tournament. Break out the passports – The Heels are heading to Cancun! pic.twitter.com/WibQ1gWw26 — […]
Check Out the Complete Schedule for UNC's 'ACC Network Takeover' July 8
The ACC Network will feature 24 hours of Tar Heel highlights from the 2024-25 athletic year Tuesday as part of its annual “ACC Network Takeover.” Programming begins at midnight and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Featured games include the women’s basketball team’s win against No. 10 NC State at Carmichael Arena back in February. Those who […]
Report: Russian Prospect Elizaveta Astakhova Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
According to a report from On3’s Talia Goodman, Elizaveta Astakhova, a six-foot-one wing who spent the 2024-25 basketball season playing professionally in Russia, committed to head coach Courtney Banghart and UNC Tuesday afternoon. NEWS: Russian 2025 prospect Elizaveta Astakhova has committed to North Carolina, her agents Tequan Dean and Alex Karavanen told @On3sports. The 6-1 […]
Report: UNC Women's Basketball to Compete in 4-Team Las Vegas Event
Head coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels are reportedly heading out west early in the 2025-26 season. According to women’s college basketball insider Mitchell Northam of SB Nation, UNC will compete in a four-team, two-day event in Las Vegas this coming November. Joining Carolina in the event will be South Florida, Fairfield and UCLA. […]
UNC's Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng Each Sign WNBA Contracts
Two former Tar Heel women’s basketball stars are getting their shots at the pros. UNC’s Alyssa Ustby signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Sparks Tuesday morning, and Maria Gakdeng signed with the Atlanta Dream later that day. The Sparks have signed Alyssa Ustby as an undrafted free agent. Welcome to Los Angeles, Alyssa! […]
UCLA Transfer Elina Aarnisalo Signs With UNC Women's Basketball
Guard Elina Aarnisalo, who spent her freshman season at UCLA, signed with head coach Courtney Banghart and the UNC women’s basketball program Tuesday morning. Aarnisalo has three seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining. Welcome to Blue Heaven 🙌 Excited to have Elina join the squad! pic.twitter.com/YmdCzPCHBs — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) April 15, 2025 Aarnisalo, originally […]
Louisville Transfer Nyla Harris Signs With UNC Women's Basketball
Nyla Harris, who spent the previous three seasons with Louisville, signed with head coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal Friday morning. Harris will have one year of eligibility remaining. Lookin’ Good in Carolina Blue 🩵 Welcome Nyla! pic.twitter.com/ImiW7B5JBm — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) April 4, 2025 “Nyla is the […]
UNC's Trayanna Crisp Enters Transfer Portal After 1 Season in Chapel Hill
After spending her junior season with the UNC women’s basketball program, wing Trayanna Crisp has entered her name back into the transfer portal. Crisp transferred to Carolina in the 2024 offseason after playing her first two seasons at Arizona State. Crisp appeared in 28 games this season with one start, averaging 5.6 points, 1.5 rebounds […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 2 Duke in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
UNC women’s basketball put up its worst offensive showing of the season in a 47-38 loss to No. 2 seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 Friday afternoon in Birmingham, AL, ending Carolina’s tournament run. The poor showing came after an extremely bright start for the Tar Heels, who led 11-0 midway through the […]
›