UNC Women’s Basketball: A new Kelly has arrived in Chapel Hill
Our UNC women’s basketball player previews continue with freshman Reniya Kelly, a player who arrives in Chapel Hill with an impressive resume.
Reniya Kelly is not related to UNC women’s basketball star guard Deja Kelly but could be the next great player with the last name to make her way to Chapel Hill.
Kelly is part of Courtney Banghart’s five-player freshman class, a group that will only suit up three of those members (given that Ciera Toomey and Laila Hull plan on redshirting for the 2023-2024 season).
Based on what she accomplished at the high school level, UNC women’s basketball fans should be excited to see what she can do on the court at Carmichael Arena this upcoming season.
Prior to North Carolina
Kelly played varsity basketball at Hoover High School for five seasons.
Yes, you read that right.
Kelly played a pivotal role in helping Hoover win three consecutive state titles and four total over five years. Overall, Hoover High School didn’t lose much in that span of time, posting a 168-10 record over Kelly’s tenure with the program.
A three-time state championship MVP and a four-time all-state selection, Kelly holds the school scoring record with 2,272 career points. She earned Super Team All-State Team honors as one of the top five players in the state for both her junior and senior seasons and was named Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Alabama during her senior year.
What to Expect in 2023-2024
Fans did not get the chance to see Kelly in the UNC women’s basketball program’s ‘Live Action’ team scrimmage, which does raise a bit of a red flag in terms of Kelly’s health heading into the new season.
Missing any time, especially as a freshman, could slow down a player’s progress, as it may take Kelly a little bit longer to find a role in the team’s rotation.
Of course, we don’t know the circumstances; it could very well be a minor thing. What we do know is that once she’s healthy, expect Kelly to contribute, as her ability to score the basketball should help her find the court from the onset.
Bold Prediction
Last year’s team could have really used another scoring threat off the bench. Kelly has the ability to provide that for this year’s team, as it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see her become that option that Courtney Banghart relies on to provide some offensive production with the second unit.
As she continues to develop her game, Kelly is destined to end up a starter for the UNC women’s basketball program.
UNCWBB: A freshman who aims to impact frontcourt. dark. Next
Follow us @KeepingItHeel on X (formerly Twitter) and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC women’s basketball news, updates, and recruiting.