Confident UNC Women’s Team Looking to Take Next Step

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ––The North Carolina women’s basketball team celebrated the start of a promising season with the “Live Action” event Friday night in the Smith Center, as the Tar Heels look to utilize new weapons and new confidence to take the next step as a program.

Head coach Courtney Banghart spoke confidently to the crowd about the team’s promise, repeatedly proclaiming to the fans that she was wearing white to foreshadow the team hosting the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Carmichael Arena. 

“I think our play speaks for itself,” Banghart said after the event. “I think if we can just get people to show up the excitement from last year will carry over. We’re really excited about this team because of how they played and with lots of pieces back, incoming talent, and healthy kids, it’ll be a really fun style of play.”

After the players were introduced to the crowd on Friday, with each bringing her own sense of flair, they held an intrasquad scrimmage. Junior Kennedy Todd-Williams stood out and was the game’s high scorer. The guard started all 32 games last season, ranking third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and in rebounding (5.8 rpg).

Todd-Williams then competed in a shooting contest paired with the men’s team. Teammates Deja Kelly and Eva Hodgson participated as well, with Hodgson winning the event, contributing eight three-pointers.

Banghart’s program-building paid dividends last season, her third at the Chapel Hill helm, forcing the national college hoops world to took notice. The team finished its 2021-22 season at 25-7 overall, and 13-5 ACC, with a 69-61 Sweet Sixteen loss to powerhouse No. 1 seed South Carolina.

“I think that we’re just older, we’re more mature, we’ve got more depth and they’re talking more on the floor,” Banghart said Friday. “We’re so much further along that we’re not having to teach every single thing.”

The team returns four out of five starters, losing graduate guard Carlie Littlefield (8.8 ppg, and 2.7 apg) after she was denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA. That means First-Team All-ACC guard Kelly (16.5 ppg, 2.6 apg) is back, as is Second Team All-ACC forward Alyssa Ustby (12.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg).

Increased depth is one of the key things that should make the team stronger this season with the availability of Teonni Key, who redshirted her first season after tearing her ACL a year ago. Kayla McPherson also redshirted as a freshman last year while recovering from a high school knee injury. 

These Tar Heels are more experienced and eager to build on last season’s success, channeling the confidence from their Sweet 16 run.

“Playing against South Carolina in the Sweet 16 and playing them the closest out of anyone, I think that itself just speaks to what this team is about,” said Hodgson. “Being able to lean on each other and focus on what we still have and…