Next year's women's basketball team at North Carolina looks again to be powerful, starting with a solid core of returnees. Though the Heels will miss the scoring of Chanel Wright and the hustle of Jessica Gaspar, they promise to once again be one of the most exciting teams in women's basketball. Wright and Gaspar have graduated, as have Laquanda Dawkins, Yanick Clay, and Natasha Davis. At the helm of the attack is Nikki Teasley, the flashy point guard who in the eyes of many is the future of women's basketball. At 6-0 tall she is pure muscle and is known for juking her way to the hoop no matter what the traffic with silky smooth moves. To help Teasly out, the Heels will have to rely heavily on rising junior LaQuanda Barksdale who has been honing her skills with USA at the World University games held this year in Spain. Barksdale reminds many of a smaller version of Tracy Reid-- tall and lean yet chiseled, but most importantly, quick and athletic. The other two players who are expected to shine are Juana Brown and Jackie Higgins. Brown, a 5-11 junior guard and Higgins, a 6-0 forward/center have emerged as reliable players in the Heels attack. Brown is an athletic perimeter player who became the Heels second leading scorer last year with 14.6 ppg and shooting 40 percent from three. Higgins also stepped up last year, averaging 8.2 points a game, and shooting 50.4 percent from the field. As her coach Sylvia Hatchell put it, "Jackie has great tools. She can grab the rim with both hands and is one of the strongest players in the country. We've never had an inside player with her strength. There are going to be a lot of people who get out of her way or wish they had." As a rising junior, Higgins looks to fulfill her potential with the Heels. Carolina is also in a recruiting war for Boca Ciega center Tia Miller, Baldwin County forward Tasha Butts (verbal to UTenn), Clintondale 6-4 center Crystal White, Wilson shooting forward Dawn McCullough, Farmville Central center Crystal Baptist (verbal to UNC), and The Blake School forward Kristin Ambrose. ARTICLES FROM GOHEELS.COM
Clemson Looks for Revenge in Title Game
UNC Women Advance to ACC Tourney Finals
UNC Women Drop Georgia Tech, 87-71 to Advance
UNC Tarheels to Face Georgia Tech in Tournament
Jessica Gaspar Brings Grit to the Game for Heels
Nikki Teasley Snubbed from ACC First Team
Fouls Doom Heels Against Duke in Loss
Heels Lose to Duke Despite Barksdale's 25
Carolina Visits Blue Devils on Senior Day
Nikki Teasley is Player of the Week for Feb. 8-14
Heels Rally Past Cavaliers in Overtime
Senior Yanick Clay Improving in Strenuous Time
Hatchell's Heels Run Down Terrapins
Hatchell's Heels Seek Tenth ACC Victory
Hatchell's Heels Seek 10th ACC Victory
Wright Questionable Against Maryland
Wright Injures Knee in Practice
More on Nikki Teasley
More on Juana Brown
Thanks to Wendy, a student at UNC, for providing many of these graphics.