logo
UNC WBB has one of the country's top 2025 recruiting classes according to ESPN

UNC WBB has one of the country's top 2025 recruiting classes according to ESPN

USA Today15-05-2025

UNC WBB has one of the country's top 2025 recruiting classes according to ESPN How far will the UNC women's basketball team's newest recruits carry it?
Despite watching its 2024-2025 season conclude against archrival Duke in the NCAA Tournament, the UNC women's basketball team has plenty to be proud of.
North Carolina made its second Sweet 16 appearance in four years, a feat that hadn't occurred since the early 2000s. The Tar Heels, led by a trio of veterans in Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski, made lockdown defense their trademark.
UNC will carry a much younger look into its 2025-2026 campaign, though. Ustby, Gakdeng and Donarski are all out of eligibility. North Carolina will return nine players from last season, headlined by junior guard Reniya Kelly, but there's also a ton of excitement surrounding the Tar Heels' 2025 recruiting class.
ESPN ranks UNC's 2025 recruiting class the country's fifth-best, thanks to a trio of Top-80 incoming recruits in Nyla Brooks (#17), Taliyah Henderson (#27) and Taissa Queiroz (#77).
Brooks, a 6'2" guard from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., was named Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in March. This is the second straight year a North Carolina recruit earned this honor, with current guard Lanie Grant winning it in 2024.
Henderson is a 5-star wing from Tuscon, Arizona who played her high school basketball at Salpointe Catholic. Queiroz, an incoming sophomore from Brazil who played her high school ball at Santa Rosa, Calif.'s Cardinal Newman High School, is listed as a 6'1" guard.
The Tar Heels will have plenty of depth this coming season – and minutes up for grabs. With Ustby, Gakdeng and Donarski departing, I can easily see UNC's incoming trio getting lots of court time next season.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Greenville's Eassy steps up big for eventual BMW Charity Pro-Am champ
Greenville's Eassy steps up big for eventual BMW Charity Pro-Am champ

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Greenville's Eassy steps up big for eventual BMW Charity Pro-Am champ

Greenville's Evan Eassy just finished his freshman year playing golf at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina. However, the biggest tournament he was involved in this spring wasn't as a player but, instead, as a caddie. He was the emergency replacement for eventual BMW Charity Pro-Am winner Austin Smotherman's caddie Zach Williamson on Thursday (Carolina Country Club) and Friday (Thornblade Club) when Williamson was too ill to work. It was a random connection as Eassy and Smotherman had never met. Smotherman made sure to heap praise on the former Mauldin High golfer Eassy after claiming his second Korn Ferry Tour win Sunday at Thornblade, giving a nod to Eassy's familiarity with the two courses played as comforting and emphasizing how smoothly things went. Williamson returned to Smotherman's side for rounds three and four as Smotherman won the tournament at 25-under par. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Eastern NC volleyball player chosen for 14U All-American Team
Eastern NC volleyball player chosen for 14U All-American Team

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Eastern NC volleyball player chosen for 14U All-American Team

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — One Eastern NC volleyball player is making her name known as a player and leader among her teammates. Savannah Preston plays for the Coastal FCA Volleyball Club 14U National Team. 'She immediately had leadership qualities that we saw from the first practice,' Assistant Coach Hannah Albaugh said. 'She immediately had the best attitude and she was encouraging to all of her teammates and she showed that on and off of the court. She had the hardest hustle. She had the biggest heart and she continues to show that on and off the court throughout the whole season.' While Preston serves a teammate, huddle leader and standout player, she was recently recognized and honored with a spot on the All-American Team and will get to play in Italy over the summer. Preston was the youngest and smallest player at the Exact Sports Camp in Greensboro which led to her invitation to the team with her skills on the court standing out. 'I practiced as a setter there and I was the only eighth-grader there, so it was really nerve racking,' Preston said. 'But, I went to this program and I came back and they reviewed my footage and they were like, 'Do you want to come out with us to Italy to practice? And I was like, Heck yeah.'' Preston said while it is a daunting task competing at the world-wide level, she's ready. 'This is gonna be competitive and I am ready and I just wanna play and have great footage and wanna be there and be like 'Oh my gosh, this is something I get to experience,'' she said. 'Being able to just put herself out there, not being worried about making a mistake, not worried that she's letting anyone down, you can tell her identity is not like in her performance but in who God says she is,' Club Director Rachel Albaugh said. 'And so, she just has a ton of confidence. And so, I feel like she's grown a lot that way. She doesn't hesitate and just puts it all out there.' Preston leads with good character and a serving heart, always looking to be uplifting to teammates or opponents on the volleyball court and serving as an inspiration to other players. 'Don't let one mistake or one game define you because I've made some pretty bad mistakes,' Preston said. 'I've also had pretty bad games. So, I think that if you want to do it and you are committed and you know you want to be playing volleyball, don't stop no matter what happens, just keep on going.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision
Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision

Jason Kelce Reveals the Truth on Major Personal Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jason Kelce has been doing a lot since he retired from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Since then, the Super Bowl-winning center has gotten himself a deal with ESPN as a football analyst, which also gave birth to his own talk show on the esteemed sports network, "They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce." Advertisement On top of that, the 37-year-old also runs a very successful podcast with his brother, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, entitled "New Heights." Kelce has also ventured into multiple businesses. Apart from being a part-owner of Cincinnati, Ohio-based alcoholic beverage company Garage Beer, the NFL icon also decided to invest in his passion for golf. In May, Kelce was officially announced as a part-owner of the Sullivan County Golf Club in Liberty, New York. The seven-time Pro Bowl center joined actor Bill Murray and entrepreneur Mike Madden, the son of NFL legend Mike Madden, among others, as part of the golf club's high-profile ownership group. In a recent interview, Kelce opened up about his major personal decision to invest in Sullivan County. According to the former Eagles star, it was renowned golf writer and editor Tom Coyne who paved the way for him. Advertisement "So Tom and I played golf and did a podcast that he has," Kelce said, via kelcebrothers on Instagram. "And we just kind of got to know each other through that. "And, you know, I've been getting more involved with golf. I'm doing some stuff with my nonprofit, Underdog ... But (I've) been working with Tom and doing some things on that front. Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "And then he all of a sudden tells me, 'Hey, do you want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray?' I'm like, '(Expletive) Yeah, I want to go play a hoopie with Bill Murray.' And that's when we kind of got to talking. "It sounded like this nine-hole course up in the Catskills in Sullivan County was going to be pretty killer. ... From there, we kind of came together, and now we've got a golf course." Advertisement While it was not disclosed how much Kelce invested in this new business venture, there's no denying that purchasing a stake in a golf course had to burn a hole in his pockets. However, as Kelce said during the announcement, his relationship with the sport of golf has grown over the past few years, and he came to the conclusion that it was due time to make "a long-term commitment" by putting his money where his mouth is. Related: Jason Kelce's Family's Behavior Around Taylor Swift Revealed Related: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce Make Big Announcement on Tuesday Related: Travis Kelce Strongly Denies Jason Kelce's Accusation About His Wife This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store