North Carolina has strengthened its frontcourt for the 2025-26 season by adding 6-foot-2 forward Nyla Harris from Louisville, according to On3. Harris, who played three seasons at Louisville and retains one year of eligibility, averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds last season, shooting 54% from the field and 77.6% from the free-throw line. She recorded a season-high 18 points in an overtime win against Wake Forest and notched two double-doubles against Grambling State and Syracuse. In a game against Louisville, Harris contributed 10 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes for the Cardinals.
Her best statistical year came as a sophomore, when she achieved career highs in points (10.4), rebounds (6.6), minutes (27.3), and a 56.3% field goal percentage over her 105-game collegiate career. A product of Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, Harris was ranked No. 35 on ESPN’s Hoopgurlz for the class of 2022.
Meanwhile, UNC will lose post players Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng due to expired eligibility. These two led the team in scoring and rebounding during the 2024-25 season, playing a combined 3,732 minutes over the past two seasons. In contrast, the returning frontcourt includes 6-foot-4 Ciera Toomey and 6-foot-5 Blanca Thomas. Toomey, who missed her true freshman season due to a wrist injury and joined the program after recovering from an ACL injury in high school, appeared in 32 games last season, averaging 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game while shooting 39.8% from the field, with 51 of her 103 attempts coming from three. She provided a spark off the bench in a loss to UConn, scoring 10 points. Thomas, a freshman center who played in 33 games and averaged 2.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per game, had her most productive game in an overtime win against Duke, recording seven points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, and started in five games.
UNC finished the season with a 29-8 record and ranked fifth in the ACC with a 13-7 record, earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Duke in the Sweet Sixteen.
Looking ahead, North Carolina is set to add five-star recruits Nyla Brooks and Taliyah Henderson, along with four-star Taissa Queiroz, who enrolled early this spring to practice with the team. Additionally, the Tar Heels will lose guards Lexi Donarski and Grace Townsend. Under Courtney Banghart’s leadership, the program has compiled a 125-64 record over six seasons and made the NCAA Tournament for five consecutive years.
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