Inside Carolina Women’s Basketball: What to Expect This Season
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As the UNC women’s basketball team gears up for another season, fans can expect an exciting mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell has built a strong foundation for the program, and the Tar Heels are looking to build on their success from last year. With a strong core of players returning, and a talented freshman class joining the team, UNC is poised for another great season.
Introduction
The North Carolina women’s Basketball team is coming off a successful season in which they won the ACC regular season and tournament titles, and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament They return a core group of players from that team, and are looking to build on that success this season. Here’s what you can expect from the Tar Heels this year.
The Tar Heels will once again be led by senior guard Jessica Breland, who was named the ACC Player of the Year last season. Breland averaged 17.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the best all-around players in the country. She will be joined in the starting lineup by junior guard Diamond DeShields, who was named the ACC Rookie of the Year last season. DeShields is an electric player who can score from anywhere on the court. She averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the most talented players in the country.
The Tar Heels will also have a talented group of players coming off the bench this season. Sophomore guard N’Dea Bryant averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last season, and is one of the best shooters in the country. Junior forward Haley Peters averaged 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season, and is a physical presence in the post who can also step out and shoot from long range. Senior forward Waltiea Rolle provides experience and leadership off the bench, while freshman forward Stephanie Mavunga is one of the top recruits in the country and should see significant playing time this season.
With a mix of experience and talent, the Tar Heels should be one of the best teams in the country this season. They have all the pieces to make a run at another ACC title, and they should be considered one of the favorites to win it all come March Madness time
The Team
This year’s team is young, with only two seniors and two juniors on the roster. The team will be looking to these veterans for leadership on and off the court. Despite the youth, the team has high expectations for the season. They hope to build on last year’s success and make it back to the NCAA Tournament
The Tar Heels will be led by junior guard Diamond DeShields. DeShields was named to the Preseason All-ACC team and is one of the Top Players in the country. She averaged over 17 points per game last season and will be counted on to carry the team offensively this season.
Along with DeShields, the Tar Heels have a talented group of young players who will be looking to make an impact this season. Freshman guard Stephanie Watts was named ACC Freshman of the Year, and she will be joined by fellow freshmanDestinee Walker in the backcourt. In the frontcourt, junior Jessica Shepard will be counted on to provide a spark after transferring from Nebraska.
The Tar Heels have a tough schedule ahead of them, but they have the talent to compete with any team in the country. Be sure to follow their progress throughout the season!
The Schedule
The UNC women’s basketball team will play a total of 27 games this season, including 15 in the ACC.
ACC opponents include Boston College Clemson, Duke, Florida State Georgia Tech Louisville, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
The Tar Heels will play four non-conference games against Elon (11/5), Gardner-Webb (11/8), James Madison (11/29) and William & Mary (12/2).
UNC will participate in the Corpus Christi Beach Classic from Dec. 19-21. The Tar Heels will take on Arkansas on Dec. 19 and either Indiana or Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Dec. 20.
After the break for Christmas, UNC will travel to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks on Dec. 30.
The Rivalry
The 2017-18 women’s Basketball season is just around the corner, and there is no better way to start things off than with a heated rivalry game. The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils have been dominant forces in college basketball for decades, and their rivalry is one of the most intense in all of sports.
This season, both teams are expected to be near the top of the rankings once again. The Tar Heels are coming off a year in which they won the ACC regular season title and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament The Blue Devils are coming off a year in which they won the ACC tournament and made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament
Both teams have plenty of talent returning this season, so there is no reason to believe that this rivalry game will be anything less than heated. If you’re looking for a game to get you pumped up for the college basketball season this is definitely one to watch out for!
The Fans
The number one ranked team in the nation, the University of North Carolina women’s Basketball team is set to take the court this season with high expectations. And with good reason – the team is loaded with talent, experience, and depth. But what about the fans? What can they expect this season?
As always, the fans can expect a great atmosphere at UNC home games The student section will be packed and loud, and the rest of the arena will be filled with passionate Tar Heel fans cheering on their team. There will be plenty of excitement in the air as UNC looks to make another run at a National Championship
In terms of the on-court product, fans can expect a fast-paced and exciting brand of basketball. UNC head coach Sylvia Hatchell likes her teams to play up-tempo and that is exactly what this year’s squad is capable of doing. The Tar Heels have a lot of talent and athleticism, and they will be looking to push the pace whenever possible. Defensively, UNC is also very strong and should be one of the best teams in the country in that department. Overall, it should be a very fun season for UNC women’s basketball fans
The Media
Carolina women’s basketball is one of the most storied programs in the country. The Tar Heels have won 22 ACC Regular Season titles and 18 ACC Tournament titles, and they’ve made 27 appearances in the NCAA tournament including 13 trips to the Sweet Sixteen and four to the Elite Eight. Carolina has also produced 3 WNBA All-Stars: Dawn Staley Marion Jones and Camille Little.
This season, the Tar Heels have high expectations once again. They are ranked #5 in the AP Poll and #6 in the Coaches Poll and they are coming off a 29-7 season that saw them win the ACC regular season title and reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament
Leading the way for Carolina this season will be senior guard Allisha Gray, who was named ACC Player of the Year last season. Gray averaged 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season, and she is expected to be one of the best players in the country this season. Joining her in the backcourt will be junior guard Jamie Cherry, who averaged 10.1 points per game last season.
In the frontcourt, Carolina will be led by senior forward Stephanie Mavunga, who averaged 14.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season. She will be joined by junior forward Destinee Walker, who averaged 11.5 points and 4 rebounds per game last season, and sophomore center Janelle Bailey, who averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game as a freshman last season.
With a strong core of returning players and some highly touted newcomers joining the fold, Carolina is primed for another Successful Season Keep an eye on the Tar Heels this year as they look to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament once again!
The Game
The game of basketball has always been a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. However, in recent years there has been a trend towards slowing the game down and focusing on defense. This has led to some very low-scoring games and some fans have complained that the game has become too boring.
Carolina women’s basketball is one of the teams that has embraced this new style of play. The team is built around its defense, and it tends to grind out opponents with its patient offense. As a result, Carolina games are often not particularly high-scoring. But they are usually very close, and they are always exciting to watch.
The Tradition
Carolina Women’s Basketball is steeped in tradition. The program has won more than 1,600 games and counting, and has produced some of the best players in the game, includingMichelle Marciniak, Charlotte Smith and Ivory Latta. The team has also won 28 ACC Regular Season titles and 22 ACC Tournament titles Carolina is currently ranked No. 2 in the country and is the defending National Champion
This season, the Tar Heels are looking to repeat as National Champions and they have the talent to do it. The team is led by senior guard Allisha Gray, who was named the National Player of the Year last season. Gray is joined by a talented group of freshmen, including guard Jamie Cherry and forward Dawn Staley. The Tar Heels also have one of the best coaches in the game in Sylvia Hatchell.
Carolina will face a tough test early on in the season when they take on No. 3 Connecticut on November 17th. This will be a good measuring stick for where Carolina stands heading into the season. Other key games include a rematch with Notre Dame on January 7th, as well as games against Duke, Louisville, and Florida State
The Tar Heels are once again poised to have a strong season and they should be in contention for another National Championship
The Future
Looking to the future, the Tar Heels have a great opportunity to improve upon last season’s results. With most of the core group of players returning, the team has a chance to gel and play better together. Additionally, the Coaching Staff has added some new blood and are hoping to bring in some talented recruits. All in all, it should be an exciting season for Carolina Women’s Basketball.
Conclusion
It’s shaping up to be an exciting season for the Tar Heels! North Carolina is returning 4 starters from last year’s team that went 22-9 overall and 10-6 in conference play They’ll be looking to improve upon those numbers this season and make a run at the ACC title. The schedule includes some tough opponents, but if the Tar Heels can stay focused and play to their potential, they should have no problem making noise in the ACC and beyond.