University of North Carolina Athletics
I'm A Tar Heel: Latifah Coleman
December 3, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Dear Tar Heel fans,
I still vividly remember the day Coach Hatchell offered me a scholarship to play basketball for UNC. I had my fair share of schools recruiting me, but none of the others really mattered. When North Carolina started recruiting me I put everyone else on hold. The day I got the offer I was stunned, but I knew enough to say yes.
Being a Tar Heel is wonderful. My sophomore year I had to redshirt because I tore my ACL, but I still really enjoyed being part of the team. That year was a great learning experience.
Now I'm a fifth-year senior and this past weekend was one of the highlights of my career. At our tournament in Hawaii, we won and I was named the MVP, which felt really good. I know some teams don't have a lot of respect for me as a player, and I came out for our game against Stanford with a lot of motivation. I ended up scoring 19 points, which is a career high, and we beat them for the first time ever. That was a great win for us, and overall it was great trip. My mom and dad came along and just seeing them relax was a highlight for me.
Even all the way out in Hawaii, we had a great fan support. The thing I like best about being a Tar Heel is the community and togetherness that's around Carolina and all of the student-athletes and everyone around town. Knowing so many people are behind you is indescribable. Even when we're walking through the airport, people are saying, “Go Tar Heels!” In Hawaii, people on the street wanted to take pictures with us.
It's an amazing feeling to know that wherever you go, you're always going to have people rooting for you. Everybody wants to be a part of that Tar Heel family, and to actually be a member of it is such a blessing.
Thank you all for your support! Go Heels!
Latifah Coleman, #2
