Lanie Grant Serves As Young Mentor For UNC WBB Freshmen

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Despite a new batch of freshmen poised to play in Carmichael Arena, sophomore guard Lanie Grant will still be the youngest player on North Carolina’s women’s basketball roster. 

At 18 years old, Grant is an outlier among UNC’s youthful lineup — the eighth-youngest team in the NCAA — and has taken on a leadership role for the Tar Heels that far exceeds her inexperience. As a proven guard for preseason No. 11 North Carolina, Grant’s success last season may serve as the perfect blueprint for the Tar Heels’ incoming class of freshman guards.

“She still feels like she’s one of the younger guys as she is, but she has a whole year of experience, and that matters,” head coach Courtney Banghart said. “Your chronological age is different than your experience in our program. She’s really taken on the job to make sure these freshmen can help us in terms of how they concentrate, their competitive character and how they show their joy.”

Originally a high school class of 2025 recruit, Grant “joked” with Banghart about the idea of reclassifying to play early for North Carolina on the day of her junior-year state championship. But 48 hours later, she made it official. 

Grant elected to skip her senior season and join the Tar Heels early, a decision that proved fruitful. She not only became a key piece for UNC, starting two games when the Tar Heels were thinned out due to injury, but also averaged 7.3 points per game, good enough for All-ACC Freshman honors. 

With a year of experience under her belt, Grant now hopes UNC’s new batch of guards who were once her classmates — Taliyah Henderson, Nyla Brooks, Liza Astakhova and Taissa Queiroz — can find the same early success she did.

“It’s a long journey, and it’s easy when you first come in to get kind of caught up in a bad shot, a bad practice, maybe you’re just in a little bit of a slump,” Grant said. “So my goal has been to kind of help them along and help them through those tough periods.”

Because of her age, Grant lives in the same residence hall as UNC’s current freshmen. The setup has allowed Grant to mentor the newcomers on more than just basketball, but also the many challenges of college life.

The group of dormmates has quickly bonded over a shared desire to grow. Grant said the squad has embodied its dorm motto, “trust the process”, as a commitment to daily improvement. 

“I constantly pick (Grant’s) brain,” Henderson said. “She’s probably totally annoyed with me already, but it’s great. She’s very compassionate, she also gives understanding. Having that kind of grace that not only Lanie gives, but the rest of the team gives as we continue to grow and build is incredible.” 

But living with the freshman has helped Grant, too. As hard as the sophomore pushes the freshmen, they give it right back. It’s a two-way street of accountability that Grant is grateful to have.

“They’ve done the same thing for me… they’ve helped me along just as much as I’ve helped them,” Grant said. “It’s been a great experience getting to know them, and I’m very blessed that they were brought into this program.”

The hunger the underclassmen bring has set the tone for the rest of the team. Reniya Kelly, one of only four upperclassmen on UNC’s roster, said she’s the palpable difference they’ve made in practice.

It’s clear to her that the group doesn’t have to be motivated, but arrive every day to practice with eager desire to be great. And as young as UNC is, with an average age of 19, the Tar Heels will need underclassmen to step up, with Grant leading the charge. 

“Everyone just wants to be better, you know, so you don’t have to pull anybody, anyone towards being better,” Kelly said. “And so I think that’s just the thing I love about them. They’re ready to get in, they’re ready to do the hard things, they’re ready to sweat, they’re ready to cry, whatever it takes to get better. And so I think it’s like it’s all you need from the young group.”