Keeping It Heel
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UNC Women’s Basketball Trio Earn Preseason ACC Honors

By Jordan Falls

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 03: Alyssa Ustby #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels high fives teammate Deja Kelly #25 during the second half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 3, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Duke won 44-40. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 03: Alyssa Ustby #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels high fives teammate Deja Kelly #25 during the second half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 3, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Duke won 44-40. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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Following ACC Media Day, the conference announced its preseason awards and the UNC Women’s Basketball program is well represented.

It’s that time of year again, and we’re inching closer to the UNC Women’s Basketball season getting underway! With every day that passes, the excitement for the season builds, and Courtney Banghart has what she has called her deepest team since she arrived in Chapel Hill.

That talent and depth showed up on Thursday afternoon when the Tar Heels had three players earn pre-season honors.

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby were named to the Preseason All-ACC team, meaning UNC Women’s Basketball joined Florida State, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech as schools with multiple players on the All-ACC Team. Kelly and Ustby are both veteran returners who are familiar with earning these types of honors, as both earned All-ACC First-Team honors at the end of last season as well.

It is the first time in nearly a decade that the Tar Heels have landed multiple players on the preseason award list. Lexi Donarski is a defending two-time Big XII Defensive Player of the Year and joins Courtney Banghart’s squad this season. She made the Newcomer Watch List which consists of five new players in the conference.

To go along with the awards for Ustby, Kelly, and Donarski, North Carolina was also picked to finish third in the ACC behind Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. You can see all of the awards below.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Virginia Tech
  2. Notre Dame
  3. North Carolina
  4. Louisville
  5. Florida State
  6. Miami
  7. Duke
  8. NC State
  9. Syracuse
  10. Virginia
  11. Clemson
  12. Georgia Tech
  13. Boston College
  14. Wake Forest
  15. Pitt

Blue Ribbon Preseason Player of the Year

Elizabeth Kitley, Gr., C, Virginia Tech

Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team (61 Total Votes – Receiving Votes in Parentheses)

Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech (46)
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State (4)
Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech (2)
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame (3)
Deja Kelly, North Carolina (1)
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame (1)
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse (1)
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
Makayla Timpson, Florida State
Olivia Cochran, Louisville (1)

Newcomer Watch List

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Kiki Jefferson, Louisville
Jayda Curry, Louisville
Lexi Donarski, North Carolina
Jadyn Donovan, Duke

Next. UNC Basketball: Bacot & Cadeau earn ACC Preseason honors. dark

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