Top recruit names UNC Women’s Basketball program in her final three schools

Sarah Strong is the No. 1 ranked recruit by ESPN's HoopGurlz in the Class of 2024, and recently, she narrowed her list of schools down to three. Courtney Banghart and the UNC Women's Basketball program are one of those three schools that made the cut and are officially in the running for the No. 1 overall recruit.

The UNC Women's Basketball player will now be in a three-man race for the top recruit from North Carolina, battling in-state rival Duke and national powerhouse Connecticut to land a commitment from the nation's No. 1 player.

Strong was heavily recruited by several schools, including Louisville, LSU, Oregon, NC State, South Carolina, and UCLA. Strong's father, Danny, played basketball at NC State in the mid-1990s, and it was believed that the Wolfpack were in serious contention to earn a commitment from Sarah.

The Gamecocks were another program believed to be close to the top of the list for Strong, however, with the release of her final three programs, that will not be the case.

Strong recently became the fourth player ever to repeat as the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year. This season, she averaged 21 points per game, 16.8 rebounds per game, and 4.6 assists per game while leading Grace Christian to a perfect 30-0 record and their second consecutive 2A state title.

She will play in the McDonald's All-American game next month and remains the only player in the Class of 2024 ESPNW's Top 100 recruit to remain uncommitted at this time. The Tar Heels could use the additional presence of Strong in the post while also pairing her with redshirt freshman Cierra Toomey could be a deadly combo for Courtney Banghart's squad. Strong adds an additional perimeter skillset that North Carolina currently does not have.

Of course, in the age of the transfer portal as well as the COVID year, the unknown remains of who from this year's roster will return or not. For now, we will have to wait and see if the in-state recruit will remain home and play for the flagship university or if she will choose to attend elsewhere.