The UNC women’s basketball team’s non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season is continuing to take shape, and the Tar Heels could potentially face off against even more star power.  Carolina will compete in the eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, FL, this November. The most notable team in the field is 2023 national runner-up Iowa, led by reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark.

The event will be played in a bracket format similar to tournaments like the Maui Invitational, with each of the eight sides guaranteed three games in either the winner’s or loser’s bracket.

Carolina’s first game will come against Vermont on November 24. It’s the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The winner of that game will face the winner of Kansas State and Western Kentucky. Florida Gulf Coast, Delaware and Purdue-Fort Wayne are also part of the field with the Tar Heels and Hawkeyes.

UNC has faced Iowa four times in program history, with the series split 2-2. The Tar Heels haven’t faced the Hawkeyes since Courtney Banghart came to Chapel Hill, with the last meeting coming during the 2012-13 season (Carolina won, 79-67).

Clark is one of the most popular players in women’s basketball and is known for her incredible scoring ability. She averaged 26.6 points per game as a true freshman and only improved from there, averaging 27.8 as a junior last season and leading the Hawkeyes to the championship game. She and Iowa represent a potentially stern test for Carolina in a non-conference slate which already features UConn and South Carolina.

The 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase is scheduled for November 24-26.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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's Elina Aarnisalo Entering Transfer Portal After 1 Year in Chapel Hill
Sophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo, who transferred to UNC for the 2025-26 season after spending her freshman year at UCLA, is entering the transfer portal once again. According to Talia Goodman of On3 Sports, Aarnisalo entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag. BREAKING: North Carolina’s Elina Aarnisalo has entered the transfer portal with a […]
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 […]
UNC Women's Basketball Throttles Western Illinois in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
UNC’s defense limited Western Illinois to just 17 made shots in 40 minutes as the No. 4 seeded Tar Heels defeated the No. 13 Leathernecks 82-51 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Carmichael Arena. It’s Carolina’s fifth consecutive win in the tournament’s Round of 64 under head coach Courtney Banghart. Round […]
›