University of North Carolina Athletics
Freshman Kayla McPherson cheers for her teammates during a recent game at Carmichael.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
McPherson To Redshirt 2021-22 Season
December 16, 2021 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Freshman Kayla McPherson will redshirt the 2021-22 season while continuing to rehabilitate a knee injury sustained in high school, UNC women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart announced on Thursday.
McPherson, a top-20 recruit who tore the ACL in her right knee during her senior year at Madison County High School, has not seen action in the Tar Heels' first nine games this season.
"We're obviously heartbroken not to have Kayla on the court this season, but our highest priority is to ensure that she's fully healthy before she's cleared," Banghart said. "Kayla is a special talent with a long career in front of her, which we want to include four full years with us in the Carolina blue. I can't say enough about how Kayla has handled the grueling rehabilitation process. She's proven to be a tireless worker and an outstanding teammate and she is getting better and better every day. Tar Heel fans are going to learn soon that she's worth waiting for."
McPherson, a 5-7 guard from Hull, Ga., was a standout player at Madison County. She was named to the McDonald's Girls All-American Team and the Jordan Brand Classic Girls National team and ranked 17th in ESPNW rankings of the freshman class. She led the nation with an average of 36.3 points per game her junior season, when she scored 63 points in a single game.
McPherson earned Georgia Player of the Year honors in her sophomore and junior years but didn't compete during her senior year after she was injured in a preseason practice.
The No. 25/20 Tar Heels, 9-0 on the season, open Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday at Boston College. Tip-off is 2 p.m. and the game will air on ACC Network Extra. UNC's next home game is Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. vs. Alabama State.
McPherson, a top-20 recruit who tore the ACL in her right knee during her senior year at Madison County High School, has not seen action in the Tar Heels' first nine games this season.
"We're obviously heartbroken not to have Kayla on the court this season, but our highest priority is to ensure that she's fully healthy before she's cleared," Banghart said. "Kayla is a special talent with a long career in front of her, which we want to include four full years with us in the Carolina blue. I can't say enough about how Kayla has handled the grueling rehabilitation process. She's proven to be a tireless worker and an outstanding teammate and she is getting better and better every day. Tar Heel fans are going to learn soon that she's worth waiting for."
McPherson, a 5-7 guard from Hull, Ga., was a standout player at Madison County. She was named to the McDonald's Girls All-American Team and the Jordan Brand Classic Girls National team and ranked 17th in ESPNW rankings of the freshman class. She led the nation with an average of 36.3 points per game her junior season, when she scored 63 points in a single game.
McPherson earned Georgia Player of the Year honors in her sophomore and junior years but didn't compete during her senior year after she was injured in a preseason practice.
The No. 25/20 Tar Heels, 9-0 on the season, open Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday at Boston College. Tip-off is 2 p.m. and the game will air on ACC Network Extra. UNC's next home game is Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. vs. Alabama State.
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