The UNC women’s basketball program got some unfortunate news Wednesday, as head coach Courtney Banghart revealed the NCAA and Ivy League had denied starting point guard Carlie Littlefield’s waiver request (along with those of other Ivy League transfers) for an extra season of eligibility. Because of the decision, Littlefield’s college career is over. She spent three seasons at Princeton before playing for Carolina this past season.
The Ivy League did not compete in Division I athletics during the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. Littlefield stayed at Princeton that season, and thus did not play competitive basketball for a full year. She and other student-athletes who transferred away from the Ivy League after the lost season still contended they deserved the extra “COVID year” granted to all student-athletes who did play during that season. Banghart, who coached Littlefield at Princeton for two seasons and is an alumna of Dartmouth, seemed confident the waiver request would be granted.
When it wasn’t, she expressed her frustration in several posts on Twitter.
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas shared Banghart’s bewilderment at the decision, saying on Twitter, “Can anyone provide a reasonable explanation for the NCAA denying Ivy athletes this? This makes no sense.”
In her lone season in Chapel Hill, Littlefield averaged 8.8 points per game while starting all 32 contests at point guard. A steady ball-handling presence, Littlefield posted career lows in turnovers per game (1.8) and fouls per game (1.4). Her departure means Carolina will return only four of its five starters from this year’s Sweet 16 team. Candidates to start next season in the point guard role include rising junior Kennedy Todd-Williams, who started at wing this past season, redshirt freshman Kayla McPherson, who is coming off a knee injury, and incoming freshman Paulina Paris.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim
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 Drop to No. 18, Women Rise to No. 21The UNC men’s basketball team dropped two spots to No. 18 in the latest AP Poll, while the women’s team rose one spot to No. 21. Both polls were released Monday. The men’s team split its pair of games during the past week. The Tar Heels lost badly at NC State Tuesday night in Raleigh, […]
UNC Women's Basketball Uses Big 2nd Quarter to Beat Pitt in Chapel HillUNC scored 30 points in the second quarter to flip Sunday’s game against Pitt in Chapel Hill, and the Tar Heels continued piling on after halftime in a 78-50 win. Make that 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙇𝙑𝙀 ACC Wins!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/HQnP9sA2B4 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) February 22, 2026 UNC had trailed the entire first quarter as Pitt, […]
UNC Women's Basketball Outlasts Virginia Tech in Overtime for Critical ACC WinUNC rallied from a nine-point deficit and an ice-cold shooting performance in the first half to beat Virginia Tech 66-63 in overtime Thursday in Blacksburg. It was Carolina’s first road win at Virginia Tech since 2019. Comeback 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/6F8dtyWzLT — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) February 20, 2026 Carolina had taken a 14-8 lead […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men's and Women's Teams Both Drop in Latest RankingsThe UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each dropped spots in the latest AP Poll Monday after both suffered losses during the week. The men dropped five spots from No. 11 to No. 16, while the women dropped one spot from No. 21 to No. 22. The men’s team’s previous ranking of No. 11 had […]
Chansky's Notebook: Different ChallengesDavid Glenn compares the situations of the UNC men's and women's basketball teams as both enter the home stretch of the regular season.
UNC Women's Basketball Sees Win Streak Snapped at No. 11 DukeNo. 11 Duke used a 13-0 run to take a 41-33 lead into halftime Sunday in Durham, and UNC couldn’t quite dig out of that hole in a 72-68 loss. The defeat snaps Carolina’s eight-game winning streak. Prior to the Blue Devil run, the Tar Heels had led by as many as six points midway […]
UNC Women's Basketball at Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimeUNC will look to extend its eight-game winning streak Sunday afternoon when it visits No. 11 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are on a tear of their own, having won 15 consecutive games. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those […]
Hot Start Helps UNC Women's Basketball Romp Past SMUUNC shot better than 70 percent in the first quarter and finished well above 50 percent for the game in a 94-42 win against SMU at Carmichael Arena Thursday night. The 52-point margin of victory is Carolina’s largest ever in an ACC game, and it was also the 400th win in the career of head […]
Chansky's Notebook: Banghart's Breakthrough?Courtney Banghart and UNC will need to be at their best in the home stretch of the regular season if they want to break through in the ACC.
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 11, Women Rise to No. 21After the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams each picked up big wins last week, both squads have risen in the latest edition of the AP Poll. The men’s team rose three spots to No. 11, while the women’s team rose four spots to No. 21. For the men, No. 11 is the team’s highest […]
›
