Over the weekend, the UNC women's basketball program revealed its 2025-2026 roster on social media.
Well.... time to update it!
NEWS: Russian 2025 prospect Elizaveta Astakhova has committed to North Carolina, her agents Tequan Dean and Alex Karavanen told @On3sports.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) June 17, 2025
The 6-1 wing averaged 4.7 points per game playing professionally in Russia last season. pic.twitter.com/NvnUvYmcm6
Talia Goodman of On3 reported that North Carolina has added yet another prospect, securing a commitment from Russian prospect Elizaveta Astakhova. The 6-foot-1 forward most recently played at MBA Moscow in Russia PBL.
Last season, Astakhova averaged 4.1 points playing professionally. While the number of points she scored won't jump off the page, it's important to remember that she was playing essentially as an 18-year-old. Not set to turn 19 until December, Astakhova will now look to add some depth to the UNC women's basketball program's frontcourt, as this could be one of those sneaky moves that prove to be a huge get for the team in Carolina Blue.
Recruiting internationally has become more common in the college basketball world, as programs across the country are looking at every avenue to potentially improve their team. Banghart and the Tar Heels have found another prospect with international roots that they seem to love, as the hope is that she'll be ready to make an impact from the moment she steps on campus.
We originally thought that North Carolina's roster was finalized, but the Tar Heels had other plans! Not that we're complaining- we love adding extra talent!
For now, we'll believe the UNC women's basketball program is done adding talent this offseason. Astakhova seems to be the final piece in building a roster that has potential to make a deep postseason run come March.