No, this is not an April Fools' Day joke...
Of course, it's common to see players enter the transfer portal after each season. There's no such thing as a "guarantee" for a player to return to a specific program.
If you had to pick one player from this year's UNC women's basketball team that you felt was a "safe" bet to return, Lanie Grant probably would've been one of the players most fans would've selected.
However, Grant hit us with a shocking development on Wednesday night, one that is heartbreaking for Tar Heel fans to comprehend.
Lanie Grant is entering the transfer portal
After Grant shared some Instagram photos, it seemed like she was all but set on returning to Chapel Hill for another season.
Then, she hit us with the below post, one she shared on X...
Proud of everything we accomplished over the past two years with my teammates and coaches, and so thankful for the kindness and support from the Chapel Hill community 🤍.
— Lanie Grant (@laniegrant2025) April 1, 2026
Big new adventures ahead as I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal.
After reclassifying to head to North Carolina a year early, Grant was the youngest player on the team (in both her seasons on campus) but played like a seasoned vet. Mostly a reserve as a freshman, Grant showed flashes of insane potential, and her hard work and dedication earned her a spot as a starter during her sophomore season.
From there, Grant took off, improving her shooting numbers drastically.
Overall, Grant shot 44.0% from the floor during her sophomore season,almost an 8% increase from a season ago. She also improved her three-point shooting percentage by nearly the same amount, draining a staggering 41.9% from her shot attempts from beyond-the-arc this past season.
Her 21-point outburst against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal and her 20-point outing against Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament served as a bit of a coming-out party for Grant, as fans dreamed about how good she could be over her final two seasons in Carolina Blue.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like she will be back on campus, which is extremely disappointing (especially due to the fact that she quickly became a fan favorite). It's the harsh reality of the transfer portal: players come and go, but it's safe to say that Lanie Grant will continue to be a star whereever her college career ultimately takes her.
This one HURTS!