
Thursday night’s WNBA Draft saw UNC guard Stephanie Watts selected with the 10th overall pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Sparks.
Watts finished her UNC career as one of just 24 Tar Heels to ever reach the 1,500 career point milestone. She also ranks second in school history with 275 career three-pointers.
Although she missed two of the past four seasons with injuries, the 5-foot-11 Watts will give the Sparks a versatile player on both ends of the floor.
Over the course of her four years at UNC — which doesn’t include a year spent at USC last season before transferring back to Chapel Hill — Watts averaged 14.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
She joins a Sparks team which went 15-7 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They also lost star forward Candace Parker to free agency in the offseason.
Although UNC senior forward Janelle Bailey was a projected second-round draft choice in some mock drafts, she went undrafted on Thursday night.
A four-time All-ACC selection, Bailey led UNC in both scoring and rebounding this past season with averages of 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She is one of five Tar Heels to ever score at least 1,700 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds.
For the full results from the 2021 WNBA Draft, click here.
Photo via UNC Athletics
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
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 […]
›