Basketball <\/p>\n
Coming off a 29-win season and a Sweet 16 appearance, North Carolina women\u2019s basketball coach Courtney Banghart was left with some holes to fill in her rotation this offseason.<\/p>\n
A cornerstone of her program and the Tar Heels\u2019 all-time leading rebounder, Alyssa Ustby, had finally exhausted her eligibility, as did fellow starters Lexi Donarski, Maria Gakdeng, and reserve guard Grace Townsend. Banghart filled some of that void with pickups from the transfer portal, bringing in Louisville\u2019s Nyla Harris and UCLA\u2019s Elina Aarnisalo, but she\u2019s confident in the group of freshmen that have arrived in Chapel Hill too.<\/p>\n
This incoming rookie class is another strong one for Banghart as it features three players ranked in ESPN\u2019s top 100 recruits for 2025. The headliner, and perhaps the player that Banghart is most excited about, is Nyla Brooks.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, I haven\u2019t had a McDonald\u2019s All-American here since (Deja Kelly), and Nyla Brooks is moving every bit like one,\u201d Banghart said this week. \u201cEvery day, Nyla Brooks walks in the gym, hugs me and says, \u2018Coach, I got two goals: To get better and to learn.\u2019 And she\u2019s doing both\u2026 She\u2019s every bit as good as a McDonald\u2019s All-American should be, and she\u2019s handling this process even better than most do, because she\u2019s patient. She understands her job right now is to learn. She doesn\u2019t take that process too seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
The McDonald\u2019s All-American stat isn\u2019t totally true: Destiny Adams, Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson were chosen to play in the game in 2021, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indya Nivar, who began her career at Stanford before transferring into UNC in 2023, was a McDonald\u2019s All-American too.<\/p>\n
Still, that Banghart thought it was worth pointing out Brooks\u2019 singularity and mentioned her in the same sentence as Deja Kelly is noteworthy. The way that Banghart \u2014 now about to begin her seventh season in Chapel Hill \u2014 talked about Brooks could be an indicator that she\u2019s going to be an impactful contributor right away and perhaps a transformative player for a program eager to take the next step.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s gifted. She\u2019s able to get to her spot. She\u2019s tough. I mean \u2014 I\u2019m trying to be patient so I don\u2019t just give away all the things I love about her, but she is just such a bright spot,\u201d Banghart said. \u201cSo, she\u2019s got great length, great athleticism, elite defensively, and can really get to her spot. She\u2019s shooting the heck out of it too. So she adds a lot to our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brooks is a 6-foot-1 guard from Waldorf, Maryland and was ranked 13th in ESPN\u2019s top 100 recruits for 2025. She\u2019s a product of Bishop Ireton High School and led it to a state championship as a senior while averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.<\/p>\n
In addition to being named a McDonald\u2019s All-American, she was also selected for the Jordan Brand Classic and was named Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player of the Year. In the McDonald\u2019s game, Brooks finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals in just 15 minutes of action. Playing closer to home in the Jordan game, Brooks was even better<\/a>, pouring in a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, often trading baskets with Oklahoma\u2019s Aaliyah Chavez.<\/p>\n Brooks committed to North Carolina back in August 2024. Before signing with the Tar Heels, she listed Maryland, Tennessee and Georgia as her other finalists. She had initially committed to Tennessee, but reopened her recruitment<\/a> when the Volunteers fired former coach Kellie Harper. Brooks also held offers from Arizona, Mississippi State, Virginia, West Virginia, Pitt, Wake Forest<\/a> and Georgetown.<\/p>\n UNC\u2019s other two incoming freshmen are Taliyah Henderson and Taissa Queiroz. Henderson is ranked as the 27th best recruit in this class by ESPN and is a fellow five-star prospect, while Queiroz has featured for the Brazilian national team. Queiroz also enrolled early at UNC and has been practicing with the Tar Heels since last winter.<\/p>\n