Looks like there's a gun show in Chapel Hill this week:
2026 UNC Off Season Thread
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Nice picture. Where is BT at? I do not see her in this picture. I hope she is working her tail off for next season. She is one of the main ones who needs to be in this picture to let us know she is taking this upcoming year seriously. We do see Noelle in there. I am just saying.
Tar Heels on the 2025-26 All-ACC Academic Team:
Laila Hull – Political Science and Public Policy
Reniya Kelly – Information Science
Taissa Queiroz – Exercise and Sport Science
Blanca Thomas – Media and Journalism – Advertising and Public Relations Track
Ciera Toomey – Exercise and Sport Science
Laila Hull – Political Science and Public Policy
Reniya Kelly – Information Science
Taissa Queiroz – Exercise and Sport Science
Blanca Thomas – Media and Journalism – Advertising and Public Relations Track
Ciera Toomey – Exercise and Sport Science
There is now a public posting for the Director of Basketball Operations job on the UNC website.
We are about 75% of the way through portal recruiting and CBS just releases their way-too-early Top 25:
www.cbssports.com
1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Michigan
6. LSU
7. Duke
8. Louisville
9. Vanderbilt
10. Iowa
11. Ohio State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Ole Miss
14. Kentucky
15. TCU
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma
18. UNC
19. Maryland
20. Washington
21. Notre Dame
22. Minnesota
23. NC State
24. Illinois
25. Virginia
UNC looks reasonable, considering we lost 4 starters and according to portal recruit rankings our replacements are not quite as heralded as our losses.
Louisville upgraded in the portal, dook is holding steady.
Surprised to see NCSU and UVA ranked. They are putting a lot of stock in the retention of Pierre and Johnson respectively.
UCLA took a serious dive. unsurprising considering they lost 6 players to the WNBA. USC replaces UCLA in the top 5 with Watkins healthy and a top recruit coming in. But otherwise the top 5 looks remarkably similar.
OK State probably had the best portal haul overall, and it was a complete rebuild considering 8 players entered the portal. They found some oil and gas money apparently as they allegedly spent well over a million on Crooks. And had some other notable additions as well. most notably McGill who is also a top 5 portal player.
WBB way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2026: UConn leads the way at No. 1; where's reigning champ UCLA?
With the WNBA draft and most portal transfers wrapped, rosters have been shaken up and a new season lies ahead
www.cbssports.com
1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Michigan
6. LSU
7. Duke
8. Louisville
9. Vanderbilt
10. Iowa
11. Ohio State
12. Oklahoma State
13. Ole Miss
14. Kentucky
15. TCU
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma
18. UNC
19. Maryland
20. Washington
21. Notre Dame
22. Minnesota
23. NC State
24. Illinois
25. Virginia
UNC looks reasonable, considering we lost 4 starters and according to portal recruit rankings our replacements are not quite as heralded as our losses.
Louisville upgraded in the portal, dook is holding steady.
Surprised to see NCSU and UVA ranked. They are putting a lot of stock in the retention of Pierre and Johnson respectively.
UCLA took a serious dive. unsurprising considering they lost 6 players to the WNBA. USC replaces UCLA in the top 5 with Watkins healthy and a top recruit coming in. But otherwise the top 5 looks remarkably similar.
OK State probably had the best portal haul overall, and it was a complete rebuild considering 8 players entered the portal. They found some oil and gas money apparently as they allegedly spent well over a million on Crooks. And had some other notable additions as well. most notably McGill who is also a top 5 portal player.
We can earn our way up. That's fine with me.
I think they might be undervaluing Kate, Nyla, Ciera and Akot. On paper we might be equal to or better than last season if the chemistry is good. JMO.
I cannot wait to see our team on the court.
Last thought. Louisville might be better than the dookies.
I think they might be undervaluing Kate, Nyla, Ciera and Akot. On paper we might be equal to or better than last season if the chemistry is good. JMO.
I cannot wait to see our team on the court.
Last thought. Louisville might be better than the dookies.
I think this would be the national view of our losses and gains in terms of the starting 5:
(Rankings according to USA Today 4/17 list, just for one consistent reference)
Our top 4 2025-26 players are gone:
- Indya Nivar: WNBA Draft pick, 2nd team All-ACC (coaches)
- Nyla Harris: WNBA free agent, 2nd team All-ACC (media & Coaches)
- Lanie Grant: Top 3pt shooter in ACC, #11 ranked player in the portal
- Elina Aarnisalo: #12 ranked player in the portal
- Ciera Toomey, most would argue she was the 5th best starter on the team, 5th in MPG and PPG
- Harpring: consensus top 3 recruit, projects as an immediate impact starter
- Achol Akot #29 ranked portal player, leading rebounder, 3rd in scoring at #29 NET ranked OK St
- Sophie Burrows: #37 ranked portal player 4th in scoring (11.1 ppg) and 2nd in rebounds (5.8 rpg) at #41 Syracuse
- Chloe Clardy: #46 ranked portal player 3rd in scoring (12.0) PPG, 1st in assists (2.5 APG) & Steals (2.0 SPG) at #48 Stanford
- 6th woman Nyla Brooks, clearly our top bench player
- Reniya Kelly, out injured, pretty much all year, history of injuries. Will she be ready next season? Was 2nd team All ACC two years ago, so high ceiling if healthy
In terms of rankings, Gabby White (#96 in portal) and Taliyah Henderson (#98 in portal) are pretty even swap as non-starters
I think that a national analyst will deduce that this will once again be a deep team (throw in Hull, Thomas or Bofia, & Queiroz) but currently devoid of any star players.
But the top four gained collectively are not on par with the top four lost. No one on the team has any all-conference accolades in their career except Kelly. There are only a couple (Brooks, Harpring) that project towards a potential WNBA ceiling right now.
I understand why we are on the wrong side of the top 16 regional host seed as of right now.
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Minor typo, you got Nyla Brooks as gone instead of Nyla Harris. Scared me for a second.
This is a great Instagram follow for some UNC off-season exercise tidbits. Check out Andrew;s reel for today:
Ustby back stateside for summer workouts:
Reniya with the guns blazing:
Toomey, Queiroz, Zubich, Brooks, Barker in there too.
Ustby back stateside for summer workouts:
Reniya with the guns blazing:
Toomey, Queiroz, Zubich, Brooks, Barker in there too.
Harpring and Brooks will be stars/All ACC provided good health.
Kelly has been All ACC and I am hopeful she returns to form. She can really shoot it at times.
Toomey still has a big upside and this will be her second year of playing as a true low post so she should have a jump.
I liked Akot's film. Burrows can shoot it. Clardy is strong and physical
Bottom line I think we can compete with dook, LU and the wuffies. Fingers crossed.
Kelly has been All ACC and I am hopeful she returns to form. She can really shoot it at times.
Toomey still has a big upside and this will be her second year of playing as a true low post so she should have a jump.
I liked Akot's film. Burrows can shoot it. Clardy is strong and physical
Bottom line I think we can compete with dook, LU and the wuffies. Fingers crossed.
We have accepted an invitation to play in the 2026 version of the Ally Tip-off classic in Charlotte. Our opponent will be South Carolina. I believe that game will be on November 8, the Sunday after the Oui play game in Paris which Monday, Nov. 2.
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The Athletic posted their post-portal team ranking list for the 2026-27 season:
are the only ACC teams. That means UVA backslid. NCSU & Stanford did not make enough gains to reclaim relevancy.
www.nytimes.com
By their estimation, we dropped from 19th in the pre-portal post season rankings (already accounts for graduation losses) to 22nd after our portal gains and losses.
Nationally:
- #5 ND
- #7 Louisville
- #10 dook
- #22 UNC
are the only ACC teams. That means UVA backslid. NCSU & Stanford did not make enough gains to reclaim relevancy.
Women’s basketball post-portal top 25: Who’s the new No. 1? South Carolina, UConn or USC?
How far did Texas drop after an exodus of players from the program?
www.nytimes.com
By their estimation, we dropped from 19th in the pre-portal post season rankings (already accounts for graduation losses) to 22nd after our portal gains and losses.
Nationally:
- UofSC leapfrogs from 4th to first after portal gains and no losses
- Texas drop from 1st place to 13th as a result of portal losses.
- UCLA rebuilds to 12th place
- Tenn did not find the top 25 after complete roster turnover.
- TCU jumps from unranked to 16th after a giant portal haul. Ole Miss also jumps into teh rankings by dropping some bags.
I like where we are up. This is motivational material IMO. We just have to do what we always do, just win baby, just win.
Random X account, but hey, it’s the off-season, so short on topics…. Go Gabby!
Nyla Brooks invited the the USA Basketball Development Showcase May 9th-May 10 in Mesa AZ
www.usab.com
These games are often on YouTube.
Schedule here:
2026 USA Basketball 3X Women’s Showcase Set for May 9-10 at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona - USA Basketball
USA Basketball 3x3 women’s development camp will precede 3X Showcase.
www.usab.com
These games are often on YouTube.
Schedule here:
I was considering heading to UConn for our football game on 11/7, but being indoors and warm on 11/8 sounds like a better idea than outdoors and cold on 11/7!
Nyla’s team (Tempe) went 3-0, will play in the QFs at 2pm est today.Nyla Brooks invited the the USA Basketball Development Showcase May 9th-May 10 in Mesa AZ
2026 USA Basketball 3X Women’s Showcase Set for May 9-10 at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona - USA Basketball
USA Basketball 3x3 women’s development camp will precede 3X Showcase.
These games are often on YouTube.
Schedule here:
USA Today came out with their transfer team portal rankings and UNC is number 5 according to them. Here is the write up about their rankings and what they say about our players coming in for you to read.
Women’s basketball transfer portal team rankings: Oklahoma State, UCLA lead rankings
Women’s basketball transfer portal team rankings: Oklahoma State, UCLA lead rankings
Nyla's team finished in 2nd place, losing to the champ Pheonix team.
Interview of Brooks for this article:
USA Basketball 3X Women’s Showcase Gives Athletes Chance to Sharpen Skills - USA Basketball
Last weekend, in the 100-degree heat of Mesa, Arizona, eight teams from around the U.S. were fielded to compete in the 3X Women’s Showcase.
www.usab.com