University of North Carolina Athletics
Janelle Bailey (left) and Jaelynn Murray are back to their usual numbers this season.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
New Season, New Numbers
October 20, 2020 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Players debuted this year's uniforms on Monday for team photo day, with lots of new faces – and new numbers – on the Carmichael Arena court. Only two Tar Heels will take the floor this season wearing the same jerseys they sported in Carolina blue last season.
In the case of seven of the 12, it's because they weren't Tar Heels last season. Three of the five who were will be in different numbers for 2000-21.
Read on for what number each Tar Heel will wear and the reason behind that choice.
Alexandra Zelaya, No. 0:
This season is Zelaya's debut in No. 0 and she took a circuitous path to get there, including pondering whether it's even a number in the first place. Here's how she explains it:
Zelaya prefers single-digit odd numbers and wore jersey No. 3 through middle and high school. When she committed to UNC, she found out that Kennedy Todd-Williams already had dibs on that jersey. "At first I thought, 'That kind of sucks,' but then I realized I'm moving on from high school Ali to college Ali and this is a fresh start – different state, different people, different coaches, different teammates," Zelaya said. Within the family, her older sister (Adriana) had claimed No. 1 and her younger sister (Avalyn) had No. 5. Within her preferred parameter of odd single digits that weren't already taken in the Zelaya family, the basketball-eligible choices were, well, nil. "I brought up zero and at first my family didn't really like it – you think, 'Is zero even a number?' It's just really different. And I want to be different so that kind of highlighted everything I wanted it to be. So I picked zero and it's really grown on me."
Alyssa Ustby, No. 1
When Ustby was a freshman in high school, she got jersey No. 21 because it was the only one left. She grew to love it and wanted to stick with it, but at UNC it belongs to Malu Tshitenge. So she wanted something close ... 12 is retired (Ivory Latta), 2 is taken (Petra Holešínská), so she picked No. 1. It has extra significance to Ustby because it was recently vacated by Taylor Koenen, a 2020 graduate who, like Ustby, is from Minnesota. "It's a special number," Ustby said, "and I'm keeping the Minnesota legacy going."
Petra Holešínská, No. 2
Holešínská wore jersey No. 13 at Illinois. When she came to Chapel Hill as a graduate student she wanted a fresh start and a new number, so went with jersey No. 2.
Kennedy Todd-Williams, No. 3:
Todd-Williams has worn No. 3 since she started playing basketball, around age 5. She liked that it was also the jersey number of greats Candace Parker and Chris Paul, some of her favorites. The number takes a deeper meaning from signifying the trio of her mother, her sister, Taylor, and herself.
Kennady Tucker, No. 4:
Tucker wore No. 3 and No. 23 growing up but neither was available when she got to Chapel Hill, the former because it was then worn by Madinah Muhammad and the latter because it's retired for Charlotte Smith. So she chose 4, and wore it proudly last season. "And this year I just decided to stay with it," Tucker said. "It's my number now."
Stephanie Watts, No. 5:
Watts has worn No. 5 since high school, including the four years she spent at UNC and last season at Southern California. She initially picked it because her father wore it when he played in college, at Long Island University. "It's stuck with me," Watts said. "When I got back here and I had the opportunity to get 5 again I thought, let me just continue it."
Ariel Young, No. 11:
After transferring to UNC from Michigan in January of 2020, Young was listed as No. 5. This year, she's No. 11 because it's the closest she could get to No. 12, her traditional choice. She wore that number growing up because her father, C.Y., wore it during his playing career at Georgia Southern and overseas. Young was No. 12 at Michigan, but at UNC that jersey is retired for Ivory Latta. So 11 was the next best thing, but last year was worn by Emily Sullivan. This year, it belongs to Young.
Malu Tshitenge, No. 21:
Like Tucker, Tshitenge picked a new number as a freshman because her usual selection wasn't available. She wore 20 throughout high school, initially choosing it because her birthday is Nov. 20. When she got to UNC, Leah Church had 20 so Tshitenge went with 21. Now, 20 is available but Tshitenge isn't making the switch. "I've gotten used to it and I'm very superstitious so I don't want to change now," she said. "Things are going well in 21 so far."
Deja Kelly, No. 25:
Kelly wears the number in honor of her father, Darren, who played at the University of Texas and overseas. "Growing up watching him play inspired me," Kelly said. "I decided to pick his number at a really young age and it stuck."
Jaelynn Murray, No. 30
Murray likes No. 30 because it (kind of) rhymes with her last name. She wore it in high school and through her first two years at UNC. Last season, she suffered an ACL injury in the preseason and missed the entire year. Janelle Bailey, a close friend since the two came on their recruiting visit together, wore Murray's jersey number in tribute. Murray, who was on the bench, wore Bailey's No. 44 for the season. Although incredibly grateful for Bailey's gesture, Murray is excited to be back on the court in her old number. "It was well-respected while I was gone, but having it back means so much," Murray said. "She took very good care of it – she repped it really well."
Anya Poole, No. 31
The number was handed to her as a seventh grader and she's stuck with it ever since.
Janelle Bailey, No. 44
Number 44 has been Bailey's since high school because her older sister, Gigi, wore it. The exception was the 2019-20 season, when she wore Jaelynn Murray's jersey No. 30 in tribute. (See above.) Now she's back to 44. "It feels kind of weird, I'm not going to lie," she said about readjusting to her longtime favorite. "I still have Jaelynn's jersey hanger and I have some of her jerseys at home." But that adjustment is something she'll happily accept. "The original," Bailey said, "is back."
In the case of seven of the 12, it's because they weren't Tar Heels last season. Three of the five who were will be in different numbers for 2000-21.
New number, who dis? 🤩
Big smiles on #PhotoDay ✨📸 So pumped to rep Carolina this season and here's why we'll be wearing the jersey numbers we do ➡️ https://t.co/Sy71pmwV1x#GoHeels | #InPursuit pic.twitter.com/Uo2etGHYKb— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) October 21, 2020
Read on for what number each Tar Heel will wear and the reason behind that choice.
Alexandra Zelaya, No. 0:
This season is Zelaya's debut in No. 0 and she took a circuitous path to get there, including pondering whether it's even a number in the first place. Here's how she explains it:
Zelaya prefers single-digit odd numbers and wore jersey No. 3 through middle and high school. When she committed to UNC, she found out that Kennedy Todd-Williams already had dibs on that jersey. "At first I thought, 'That kind of sucks,' but then I realized I'm moving on from high school Ali to college Ali and this is a fresh start – different state, different people, different coaches, different teammates," Zelaya said. Within the family, her older sister (Adriana) had claimed No. 1 and her younger sister (Avalyn) had No. 5. Within her preferred parameter of odd single digits that weren't already taken in the Zelaya family, the basketball-eligible choices were, well, nil. "I brought up zero and at first my family didn't really like it – you think, 'Is zero even a number?' It's just really different. And I want to be different so that kind of highlighted everything I wanted it to be. So I picked zero and it's really grown on me."
Alyssa Ustby, No. 1
When Ustby was a freshman in high school, she got jersey No. 21 because it was the only one left. She grew to love it and wanted to stick with it, but at UNC it belongs to Malu Tshitenge. So she wanted something close ... 12 is retired (Ivory Latta), 2 is taken (Petra Holešínská), so she picked No. 1. It has extra significance to Ustby because it was recently vacated by Taylor Koenen, a 2020 graduate who, like Ustby, is from Minnesota. "It's a special number," Ustby said, "and I'm keeping the Minnesota legacy going."
Petra Holešínská, No. 2
Holešínská wore jersey No. 13 at Illinois. When she came to Chapel Hill as a graduate student she wanted a fresh start and a new number, so went with jersey No. 2.
Kennedy Todd-Williams, No. 3:
Todd-Williams has worn No. 3 since she started playing basketball, around age 5. She liked that it was also the jersey number of greats Candace Parker and Chris Paul, some of her favorites. The number takes a deeper meaning from signifying the trio of her mother, her sister, Taylor, and herself.
Kennady Tucker, No. 4:
Tucker wore No. 3 and No. 23 growing up but neither was available when she got to Chapel Hill, the former because it was then worn by Madinah Muhammad and the latter because it's retired for Charlotte Smith. So she chose 4, and wore it proudly last season. "And this year I just decided to stay with it," Tucker said. "It's my number now."
Stephanie Watts, No. 5:
Watts has worn No. 5 since high school, including the four years she spent at UNC and last season at Southern California. She initially picked it because her father wore it when he played in college, at Long Island University. "It's stuck with me," Watts said. "When I got back here and I had the opportunity to get 5 again I thought, let me just continue it."
Ariel Young, No. 11:
After transferring to UNC from Michigan in January of 2020, Young was listed as No. 5. This year, she's No. 11 because it's the closest she could get to No. 12, her traditional choice. She wore that number growing up because her father, C.Y., wore it during his playing career at Georgia Southern and overseas. Young was No. 12 at Michigan, but at UNC that jersey is retired for Ivory Latta. So 11 was the next best thing, but last year was worn by Emily Sullivan. This year, it belongs to Young.
Malu Tshitenge, No. 21:
Like Tucker, Tshitenge picked a new number as a freshman because her usual selection wasn't available. She wore 20 throughout high school, initially choosing it because her birthday is Nov. 20. When she got to UNC, Leah Church had 20 so Tshitenge went with 21. Now, 20 is available but Tshitenge isn't making the switch. "I've gotten used to it and I'm very superstitious so I don't want to change now," she said. "Things are going well in 21 so far."
Deja Kelly, No. 25:
Kelly wears the number in honor of her father, Darren, who played at the University of Texas and overseas. "Growing up watching him play inspired me," Kelly said. "I decided to pick his number at a really young age and it stuck."
Jaelynn Murray, No. 30
Murray likes No. 30 because it (kind of) rhymes with her last name. She wore it in high school and through her first two years at UNC. Last season, she suffered an ACL injury in the preseason and missed the entire year. Janelle Bailey, a close friend since the two came on their recruiting visit together, wore Murray's jersey number in tribute. Murray, who was on the bench, wore Bailey's No. 44 for the season. Although incredibly grateful for Bailey's gesture, Murray is excited to be back on the court in her old number. "It was well-respected while I was gone, but having it back means so much," Murray said. "She took very good care of it – she repped it really well."
Anya Poole, No. 31
The number was handed to her as a seventh grader and she's stuck with it ever since.
Janelle Bailey, No. 44
Number 44 has been Bailey's since high school because her older sister, Gigi, wore it. The exception was the 2019-20 season, when she wore Jaelynn Murray's jersey No. 30 in tribute. (See above.) Now she's back to 44. "It feels kind of weird, I'm not going to lie," she said about readjusting to her longtime favorite. "I still have Jaelynn's jersey hanger and I have some of her jerseys at home." But that adjustment is something she'll happily accept. "The original," Bailey said, "is back."
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