UNC women’s basketball head coach Courtney Banghart delivered some bad news on the eve of her team’s season opener against North Carolina A&T. The program announced Monday night that two players would miss the entirety of the 2021-22 season with injuries: freshman Teonni Key and junior Ariel Young.

“I’m absolutely heartbroken for both Ariel and Teonni, two very important pieces of our team’s puzzle,” Banghart said in a release from Carolina Athletics. “Both of these athletes have such a genuine love for the game and this program, and both have become huge parts of this team. They have put so much work into their development and training and to be forced to the sideline for the duration of the season is a tough pill to swallow for us all.”

According to the release, both players suffered torn ACLs. Young’s injury occurred in practice, while Key suffered hers during the team’s secret scrimmage with South Carolina in October.

Young transferred to Carolina from Michigan after spending her freshman year with the Wolverines. She averaged 2.4 points per game for the Tar Heels last season.

Key came in as the most heralded piece of Banghart’s 2021 recruiting class. Ranked as the No. 9 player in the nation by ESPN, Key made the short trip to Chapel Hill from her hometown of Cary, N.C., by committing to Banghart and the Tar Heels.

Banghart confirmed both Young and Key will use medical redshirts for this season, therefore not losing a year of eligibility to the injuries.

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