UNC Ready to Join the Elite of Women's College Hoops

North Carolina is back in the national spotlight in women’s basketball after a successful 2024-25 campaign that saw them go to the Sweet 16 and finish with a 29-7 season.

With last season’s success, expectations for the Tar Heels are sky-high. The core of the team remained intact, and the added depth is fueling hopes for an even deeper tournament run. This buzz extends beyond Chapel Hill—UNC’s rivals are taking notice as well. When NC State’s Zioe Brooks and Zameryea Jones were asked which team they most looked forward to facing, their answer was simple: “UNC.”

When asked about what Brooks and Jones said, UNC guard Reniya Kelly loved it.

“That's good. We want everyone as well, so we're not running from any competition,” Kelly said. “We're trying to beat every team that comes in our way to get to the national championship, so that's always the goal every year.”

With a demanding schedule, a challenging ACC slate, and heightened expectations, North Carolina faces a steep climb ahead. But reaching the summit is never easy—every mountain worth conquering presents a tough journey to the top.

The Schedule will be Tough

Right from the start, the Tar Heels will face South Carolina in the preseason, followed by matchups against UCLA and Texas in their nonconference schedule. All three opponents reached the Final Four last season. According to head coach Courtney Banghart, this challenging slate was by design.

“It was pretty strategic. The ACC is so hard every year, and we knew that this was going to be a year where we were losing 60% or more of our productivity And so you would rather find out -- instead of finding out late, I want to find out early kind of what the traditional, sort of over the last year, were the best. UCLA brought back a lot of their players. South Carolina brought back a lot of their players. Texas brought back a lot of their players. We kind of are going to go against people that are really experienced and had a great year last year. I think that will bode well as we continue to persistently prepare for what's going to be the ACC gauntlet.”

Kelly echoed Banghart’s sentiments and expressed her excitement about taking on some of the nation’s top teams.

Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley speaks with forward Chloe Kitts (21) and guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) during the first half the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“I mean, it's obviously good to have those games early because you can see how tough we are or even how soft we are. Right? You want to have those big games early so you can determine what we need to work on, what we need to fix, how we need to fix it, when we need to fix it. And so, I'm just blessed to even play in those big games because, like, you can see where you are.”

Kelly added that playing these challenging matchups prepares the Tar Heels for high-stakes contests like the Final Four and National Championship—goals the team has firmly set for themselves this season.

“You know, some people play, you know, mid-majors first. But, no, we're actually going into head-on and playing a big team so we can see where we are as a team. And so, we're trying to make it to the national championship game. And so, in order to do that, you have to play the national championship teams. And so, you know, I'm just excited that we get to play those teams first.”

What Separates Good and Elite Teams

UNC — Oct 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. | William Howard-Imagn Images

For North Carolina to rise to the ranks of women’s college basketball’s elite, being good—even great—isn’t enough. The Tar Heels have to be exceptional. When Banghart was asked what she believes sets elite teams apart from the rest, she responded:

"Consistency, adversity, response, competitive character, and honestly, resilience. It's a long season. I mean, this is week two and we're talking about what might happen in April, right? I mean, it's like you have to have resilience and competitive character through the ups, downs, all around consistently. And otherwise you have talent and you'll win games, but for your programmatic growth and success, those are like non-negotiables.”

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart talks with her team during practice before their Sweet 16 matchup with Duke at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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