University of North Carolina Athletics
Coach Courtney Banghart and Janelle Bailey at Saturday's practice at the Alamodome.
Photo by: Dana Gentry
Bailey Ready To Lead In Final Dance
March 20, 2021 | Women's Basketball
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – When it comes to experience, one Tar Heel stands out.
Senior Janelle Bailey's extensive Carolina résumé includes four years as a starter, with one of those games in the NCAA Tournament, back in 2019 when UNC made its most recent appearance in the field. Now she's back in the 2021 NCAA field as part of a young team that gets nearly half its scoring and minutes from players who were in high school at this time last year. As the dancing starts, Bailey is prepared to lead.
"I feel like my role is to show what it takes," the Tar Heel center said. "This is a fun experience just to be in the tournament – it's only 64 teams and we're one of those teams. So we want to soak it all in, but when it's game time it's all about 'survive and advance.' The most important thing is to be a leader who shows what it takes to win one game, just one game at a time. We have to play four complete quarters and stay locked in."
UNC will meet Alabama Monday at noon ET in an NCAA first-round game, and Bailey brings experience there as well: She was part of the starting lineup in December of 2019 when the Tar Heels took on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., falling by six. Although Bailey finished with a double-double, she remembers her 2-for-18 shooting performance and is working hard toward a better showing this time.
Since arriving in San Antonio on Wednesday, the Tar Heels have practiced three times (including 90 minutes in the Alamodome on Saturday, on the court where they'll play Monday), kept up with classwork, rested and watched basketball. Bailey does all of that knowing her college career will end in this city, where the entire tournament will play out.
In any other year, the fact that the end of the season is the end of a senior's career would be a given. But the NCAA extended an extra year of eligibility due to Covid, so this year's seniors have a decision to make. Bailey elected to make her path known a week ago, prior to the tournament selection: this season marks the end of her college career and she's entering the 2021 WNBA Draft.
"I feel like I'm ready for the next level, mentally and physically," she said. "I feel like it's time for me to take the next step, and I didn't want to go to San Antonio still thinking about that. Now I can focus on the present moment and focus on one game at a time."
Along with NCAA experience, Bailey's UNC résumé includes plenty of accolades. She has earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors all four years in Chapel Hill and has been a top-10 finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award, which goes to the nation's top center, in each of the past three. The Tar Heels' leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.1 rpg), she recently became just the fifth player in program history to score 1,700 career points and grab 1,000 rebounds. With 44 career double-doubles, she ranks fourth among all active Division I players.
Monday will be her 114th game in a Tar Heel jersey. She'll continue to try add to that total,
ensuring that when the end comes, she'll know she's done all she can do.
"I have wrapped my mind around the fact that this is it," Bailey said. "I know I've given my all. Whenever it stops, I'll know I've put all my energy into being the best version of myself in a Carolina jersey."
Senior Janelle Bailey's extensive Carolina résumé includes four years as a starter, with one of those games in the NCAA Tournament, back in 2019 when UNC made its most recent appearance in the field. Now she's back in the 2021 NCAA field as part of a young team that gets nearly half its scoring and minutes from players who were in high school at this time last year. As the dancing starts, Bailey is prepared to lead.
"I feel like my role is to show what it takes," the Tar Heel center said. "This is a fun experience just to be in the tournament – it's only 64 teams and we're one of those teams. So we want to soak it all in, but when it's game time it's all about 'survive and advance.' The most important thing is to be a leader who shows what it takes to win one game, just one game at a time. We have to play four complete quarters and stay locked in."
UNC will meet Alabama Monday at noon ET in an NCAA first-round game, and Bailey brings experience there as well: She was part of the starting lineup in December of 2019 when the Tar Heels took on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., falling by six. Although Bailey finished with a double-double, she remembers her 2-for-18 shooting performance and is working hard toward a better showing this time.
Since arriving in San Antonio on Wednesday, the Tar Heels have practiced three times (including 90 minutes in the Alamodome on Saturday, on the court where they'll play Monday), kept up with classwork, rested and watched basketball. Bailey does all of that knowing her college career will end in this city, where the entire tournament will play out.
In any other year, the fact that the end of the season is the end of a senior's career would be a given. But the NCAA extended an extra year of eligibility due to Covid, so this year's seniors have a decision to make. Bailey elected to make her path known a week ago, prior to the tournament selection: this season marks the end of her college career and she's entering the 2021 WNBA Draft.
With 44 career double-doubles, No. 44 has been a standout all 4 years as a Tar Heel. Now she's ready to show what she can do at the next level ...
🥺💙👣 x @janelle__bailey #GoHeels #InPursuit #ForeverHeels pic.twitter.com/DXEuY7jpU9
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) March 13, 2021
"I feel like I'm ready for the next level, mentally and physically," she said. "I feel like it's time for me to take the next step, and I didn't want to go to San Antonio still thinking about that. Now I can focus on the present moment and focus on one game at a time."
Along with NCAA experience, Bailey's UNC résumé includes plenty of accolades. She has earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors all four years in Chapel Hill and has been a top-10 finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award, which goes to the nation's top center, in each of the past three. The Tar Heels' leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.1 rpg), she recently became just the fifth player in program history to score 1,700 career points and grab 1,000 rebounds. With 44 career double-doubles, she ranks fourth among all active Division I players.
Monday will be her 114th game in a Tar Heel jersey. She'll continue to try add to that total,
ensuring that when the end comes, she'll know she's done all she can do.
"I have wrapped my mind around the fact that this is it," Bailey said. "I know I've given my all. Whenever it stops, I'll know I've put all my energy into being the best version of myself in a Carolina jersey."
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