University of North Carolina Athletics
The Tar Heel freshmen (l to r): Sydney Barker, Reniya Kelly, Ciera Toomey, Laila Hull and RyLee Grays
WBB's Five Freshmen Arrive In Chapel Hill
June 20, 2023 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – They're finally here.
More than a year after some had committed and seven-plus months after the November 2022 signing day, UNC's freshman class of five officially hit campus on Monday. The newest Tar Heels – Ciera Toomey, Reniya Kelly, Laila Hull, RyLee Grays and Sydney Barker – moved into their on-campus apartments, took some time to put their stuff away and then got more stuff ... a haul of Carolina practice gear and shoes.
After a workout for the returners and transfer Maria Gakdeng, who moved in on Saturday and took the court for the first time in Carolina blue on Monday, the team welcomed the freshmen and their families into the Carmichael Arena locker room, where each players' locker was full of a range of Carolina blue, navy, gray and white. After checking out their new gear, the players posed for photos, and then huddled up to break with "Family!"
The newcomers will work out for the first time on Wednesday and are set to start summer school classes next week, easing into the college student life ahead of the fall semester.
Among many other honors, the class includes three Miss Basketballs (Kelly from Alabama, Hull from Indiana, and Toomey from Pennsylvania), Houston's Player of the Year (Grays), and a local standout who averaged 27.8 points per game last season (Barker).
The five freshmen join seven returners and three transfers – Lexi Donarski (Iowa State) and Indya Nivar (Stanford), in addition to Gakdeng (Boston College) – to make up the 15-member 2023-24 Carolina team.
More than a year after some had committed and seven-plus months after the November 2022 signing day, UNC's freshman class of five officially hit campus on Monday. The newest Tar Heels – Ciera Toomey, Reniya Kelly, Laila Hull, RyLee Grays and Sydney Barker – moved into their on-campus apartments, took some time to put their stuff away and then got more stuff ... a haul of Carolina practice gear and shoes.
We've been counting down the days ... now our freshies are FINALLY HERE! 🤗💙#GoHeels | #InPursuit pic.twitter.com/mi7N9dHjeK— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) June 19, 2023
After a workout for the returners and transfer Maria Gakdeng, who moved in on Saturday and took the court for the first time in Carolina blue on Monday, the team welcomed the freshmen and their families into the Carmichael Arena locker room, where each players' locker was full of a range of Carolina blue, navy, gray and white. After checking out their new gear, the players posed for photos, and then huddled up to break with "Family!"
The newcomers will work out for the first time on Wednesday and are set to start summer school classes next week, easing into the college student life ahead of the fall semester.
💙 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℍ𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕤, 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕘𝕖𝕒𝕣 💙@sydneybarker_5 🔹 @ReniyaKelly 🔹 @CieraToomey 🔹 @laila_hull 🔹 @DunkingBeauty pic.twitter.com/tuwuTUz5Y0— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) June 20, 2023
Among many other honors, the class includes three Miss Basketballs (Kelly from Alabama, Hull from Indiana, and Toomey from Pennsylvania), Houston's Player of the Year (Grays), and a local standout who averaged 27.8 points per game last season (Barker).
The five freshmen join seven returners and three transfers – Lexi Donarski (Iowa State) and Indya Nivar (Stanford), in addition to Gakdeng (Boston College) – to make up the 15-member 2023-24 Carolina team.
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