The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893

°F
Wednesday March 22nd

Sports

UNC junior forward Anya Poole answers questions from the media in the North Carolina locker room during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

'It was really bad': UNC women's basketball discusses steps toward equity in NCAA Tournament

By Shelby Swanson | Mar. 20

As they start their 2023 March Madness run — and yes, the women's tournament now uses March Madness branding  — several Tar Heels have reflected on how their tournament experience has changed over the years.

  • In August 2021, the NCAA’s extensive report found that, on average, the association spends more money on male athletes than female athletes. This discrepancy is because the organization views men’s championships in a different regard than women’s championships. 
  • "Because of the way that the structure’s in place, it’s more lucrative for your men’s basketball team to be more successful," UNC women's basketball head coach Courtney Banghart said. "The politics of that is real.”

Read More »
Junior forward Anya Poole (31) tips off the game against Clemson University in the second round of the ACC Championship in Greensboro, NC.

Preview: UNC women's basketball to face No. 11 seed St. John's in NCAA Tournament

By Shelby Swanson | Mar. 18

Despite it being Courtney Banghart’s 11th postseason appearance and UNC’s 29th NCAA Tournament appearance, the level of excitement for the Tar Heels this March is still the same. The first step in No. 6 seed North Carolina’s trek back to the Sweet 16 is its contest against No. 11 seed St. John’s at 4 p.m. on Saturday. “We’ve seen lots of really good players, lots of dynamic threats, lots of deep teams,” Banghart said. “You hope that what you’ve been prepared for all year, in terms of the talent that you’ve played against, prepares you well for an opportunity like this.”

Read More »