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

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