Lexi Donarski to return to the UNC women's basketball program

Last offseason, Courtney Banghart and the UNC women's basketball program made a huge splash in the transfer portal, adding Iowa State standout Lexi Donarski.

Donarski, who transferred to North Carolina to pursue her MBA at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, made an immediate impact with her new team, as her lockdown defense and ability to knock down shots from three-point range were a huge asset to the 2023-2024 Tar Heels.

In 32 games (31 starts), Donarski averaged 10.6 points per game while shooting 34% from three-point range. Often tasked with defending the opposing team's best scoring threat, Donarski did a little bit of everything for the Tar Heels in her first season in Chapel Hill.

Of course, with the world of the transfer portal, you never know what to expect in regard to the future of student-athletes. In fact, the UNC women's basketball program has seen plenty of changes already this offseason.

The good news is, Donarski won't be among those changes.

Donarski announced on social media that she'll return to the UNC women's basketball program for her fifth (and final) season of college eligibility. She used the "Run It Back" motto in her edited photo to announce her future intentions.

This is great news for North Carolina, as Donarski provides a strong veteran presence for a team that might be on the younger side this upcoming season. Of course, Banghart and her staff will likely bring in additional transfers to fill some roster voids, but knowing that Donarski is back in the mix is a huge boost for the program for the upcoming 2024-2025 season.