After the UNC women’s basketball team’s re-emergence onto the national scene and a Sweet 16 berth this past season, the national media are already building the hype for head coach Courtney Banghart’s next team. ESPN ranked Carolina No. 11 in its annual Way-Too-Early Top 25 poll earlier this week, the second-highest ACC team in the poll.

The Tar Heels are projected to return at least four of their five starters from this past season. That number could potentially be five, depending on the outcome of transfer Carlie Littlefield’s waiver appeal to the Ivy League. Littlefield, who transferred to Carolina from Princeton last offseason, didn’t play for the Tigers in 2020-21, as the Ivy League did not compete at all in basketball.

Carolina will also see the return of freshmen Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson, both lost for the season due to injuries, as well as redshirt junior Ariel Young. None of those three suited up for a single game this past season. In addition, the Tar Heels will welcome in guard Paulina Paris, who is ranked as he No. 27 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. The only player who is guaranteed to depart Chapel Hill this summer is senior Jaelynn Murray, who only appeared in 15 games this past season due to injury.

The only ACC team ahead of Carolina in the poll is Notre Dame, who is ranked No. 9. Louisville, Virginia Tech and NC State also check in at Nos. 14, 15 and 16.

To view the full poll, click here.

 

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 Women's Basketball in the 2026 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Times
Carolina will play in the 2026 ACC Tournament this week in Duluth, GA. The Tar Heels are the No. 3 seed in the field and will play their semifinal game Saturday. For a look at the full tournament bracket, click here. If you aren’t traveling to Georgia with the team, here’s how you can follow […]
UNC Women's Basketball Advances Past Virginia Tech into ACC Tournament Semifinals
Lanie Grant scored a career-high 21 points and Nyla Harris recorded her fifth double-double of the season as No. 3 seed UNC beat No. 6 seed Virginia Tech 85-68 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Duluth, GA Friday night. The Tar Heels are into the semifinal round for the second consecutive season. See ya in […]
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament
The 2026 ACC women’s basketball tournament begins Wednesday at Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA and runs through Sunday. UNC is the No. 3 seed in the field and is seeking its first ACC tournament title since 2008. Duke is the defending tournament champion and the No. 1 seed in this year’s field. Check out […]
UNC Women's Basketball's Nivar, Harris, Brooks Each Earn All-ACC Honors
UNC’s Nyla Harris, Nyla Brooks and Indya Nivar each earned all-conference recognition from the ACC Tuesday. Harris was the top vote-getter on the second team while Nivar was named to the All-Defensive team and Brooks was named to the All-Freshman team. Brooks also received votes for Sixth Player of the Year. Harris, playing her lone […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Up to No. 17, Women Up to No. 16
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams both rose in the latest editions of the AP Poll, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose one spot to No. 17, while the women’s team rose five spots to No. 16. The No. 17 Tar Heel men won a pair of home games last week, defeating […]
Chansky's Notebook: Bigger Challenges
The UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams took important steps forward on Saturday and Sunday and have positioned themselves well for March.
UNC Women's Basketball Beats No. 12 Duke in Regular Season Finale
Elina Aarnisalo set a new career high with 22 points to help UNC beat No. 12 Duke 74-69 at Carmichael Arena Sunday afternoon in the final game of the regular season. 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘. FIVE straight wins at home vs. Duke!@WellsFargo x #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/Pz3oaTySbQ — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 1, 2026 The Tar Heels overcame […]
UNC Women's Basketball vs. Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will wrap up the regular season Sunday when it hosts No. 12 Duke at Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels are looking to avenge a 72-68 loss to the Blue Devils in Durham on Feb. 15. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those […]
UNC Women's Basketball Beats Virginia, Clinches ACC Tournament Double Bye
UNC made a program-record 16 three-pointers and shot 58 percent from the field in an 82-70 win at Virginia Thursday night. The victory clinches a double bye to the quarterfinal round of next week’s ACC Tournament for Carolina. It’s just the second time the Tar Heels have earned a double bye under head coach Courtney […]
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Drop to No. 18, Women Rise to No. 21
The 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, […]
›