For UNC women’s basketball, a new season is right around the corner, and it brings a familiar standard — and a fresh set of questions. The Tar Heels enter the year looking to build on last season’s second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, while finding out what just how good this group can become.
With a demanding schedule ahead, head coach Courtney Banghart says the work begins with an experienced roster that is adding some very key pieces. She told 97.9 The Hill, “A lot of experience has remained on our roster, and then we brought in some really experienced transfers, three of whom have ACC starting experience. And then of course, getting Kate Harping, which is the program’s first Naismith National Player of the Year coming in right out of high school, so a lot to be excited about.”
Harpring, a freshman guard, arrives in Chapel Hill with plenty of expectations — and an opportunity to make an immediate impact. Banghart is already seeing that impact in practice.
“What I really love about Kate is her consistency,” said the UNC head coach. “She is a remarkable competitor, and she brings that every drill every day. There is a sense of purpose to how she plays…she has a scoring mindset. She’s really a special talent that I know the Chapel Hill community will really love.”
The addition of Harping is just one of the reasons Barnhart feels this roster gives her tools she hasn’t had before at Carolina. Associated Press poll voters may feel similarly, ranking UNC at No. 12 in the AP Preseason poll released on Tuesday.
“This roster’s different,” she said. “We have the physicality and speed and actual talent depth to be a little bit different. I feel like when we got into those top five teams in the country, there was a physicality that they were able to play with that we necessarily weren’t always able to match. We’ve gotten bigger, stronger, faster at the guard spot, and that’s really going to help us. We’ve gotten some elite talent as well as some improved pieces that have been here with us a while. So, I’m really excited about this roster.”
Kate Harpring is the reigning Gatorade Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year and was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 overall high school recruit for the class of 2026. (Photo via UNC Athletic Communications.)
The Tar Heels won’t have to wait long to see how that potential translates to the court. They open the season Monday, November 2 against Oklahoma — an ocean away in Paris, France.
“It’s really exciting to be one of the teams that kind of kicks off college basketball with one of the earliest games played,” Banghart told 97.9 The Hill. “And of course doing it in one of the world’s best cities is going to be quite a start. And it’s going to be against another Jordan school, an SEC opponent. What a wonderful overall opportunity, and we will take full advantage of not only the game, but the environment, and the culture, and all of that.”
But for Banghart, the start of a new season is about more than the first result. It’s also a chance for fans to get to know this team — and, she hopes, find plenty to love.
“Familiarity breeds love,” she said. “So if you are listening to the game, or watching it in person, or watching on tv… I think the more we get eyes on this team the more you guys are going to fall in love with it.”
UNC women’s basketball’s game vs. Oklahoma will tip off at 2:30 p.m. EDT on November 2 and will be broadcast on 97.9 The Hill.
Featured image via Nell Redmond/ACC Photo.
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