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 Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 12, Women Drop to No. 18
Both UNC basketball teams moved in the latest AP Polls, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose two spots from No. 14 to No. 12 (its highest of the season), while the women’s team dropped six spots from No. 12 to No. 18 (its lowest of the season). The men’s team played only once […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falters Late in Overtime Loss to No. 22 Louisville
No. 22 Louisville used a 13-0 run across the fourth quarter and overtime to rally from a late deficit and beat UNC 76-66 in Carmichael Arena Sunday evening. “We didn’t play very well, unfortunately,” head coach Courtney Banghart said afterward. “Didn’t love our shots. I think everybody played with their desire. They wanted it so […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. Louisville (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
Carolina will open ACC play when it hosts Louisville at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels have won three of the last four meetings with the Cardinals. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the radio can do […]
UNC Women's Basketball Returns Home With Rout of Boston University
Playing their first home game in two weeks, the Tar Heels dominated visiting Boston University at Carmichael Arena Sunday and cruised to an 82-40 win. 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 Win.@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/8fYnPWpSpx — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 7, 2025 After committing a season-high 20 turnovers in its loss at No. 2 Texas Thursday night, Carolina tied […]
UNC Women's Basketball Falls at No. 2 Texas in ACC-SEC Challenge
No. 2 Texas outscored UNC 47-25 across the second and third quarters to beat the Tar Heels 79-64 in Austin as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge Thursday night. Carolina had opened the game on the front foot, leading 21-16 after the first quarter thanks to 15 combined points between Indya Nivar and Elina Aarnisalo. But […]
UNC Women's Basketball at Texas (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will head to Austin Thursday night to take on No. 2 Texas as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. It’s the first meeting between the Tar Heels and Longhorns in women’s basketball since 1981. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping […]
UNC's Indya Nivar Named ACC Player of the Week
After recording just the second triple-double in program history and helping the Tar Heels go 3-0 at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico, UNC’s Indya Nivar has been named the ACC Player of the Week. Indya Nivar – A Defensive Mastermind. 𝗔𝗖𝗖 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 pic.twitter.com/HqKAQh9ULO — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 1, 2025 Against […]
UNC Women's Basketball Dispatches Columbia to Complete Cancun Sweep
Sophomore guard Lanie Grant scored 19 points and UNC pulled away in the second half to earn an 80-63 win against Columbia in the third and final game of the Cancun Challenge in Mexico Saturday. The win finished off a three-game, three-win sweep of the Challenge for the Tar Heels. Three days, Three 𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙎.@WellsFargo x […]
UNC Women's Basketball Wins Again in Cancun, Beats Kansas State
UNC made a season-high 14 three-pointers and led by as many as 21 points in an 85-73 win against Kansas State in the second of three games at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico Friday. ¡Vamos Heels!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/cmp8qX9b4r — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 28, 2025 Six different Tar Heels made at least one […]
Indya Nivar's Triple-Double Leads UNC Women's Basketball Past South Dakota State
Indya Nivar recorded the second triple-double in the history of the UNC women’s basketball program by scoring 13 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and nabbing 12 steals in an 83-48 win against South Dakota State at the 2025 Cancun Challenge in Mexico Thursday. Triple-Double ➡️ 𝘿𝙐𝘽.@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/8ulBmJtqpi — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) November 27, […]
›