‘A crown jewel’: UNC’s Reniya Kelly returns to hometown in Tar Heels’ trip to NCAA Sweet 16

When the North Carolina women’s basketball team’s bus rolled up to its hotel in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, there was a special group of people waiting for it: Reniya Kelly’s family, and her high school coach.

Kelly, the Tar Heels’ sophomore point guard, calls Hoover home. Legacy Arena in Birmingham is 20 minutes from her house.

“I just love this place so much,” Kelly said. “I have so much experience, and the atmosphere is always good here. I’m really just happy to be back in this building. … I worked really hard to get back here. I played all of my high school championships here as well, so I’m really familiar with this place. It’s a full circle for me.”

Kelly played at the facility in every season from eighth grade through her graduation, and only lost once. Hoover won three consecutive state championships with Kelly on the roster, from 2020-23.

Her only loss? Kelly’s freshman season at Hoover, though she and her teammates still advanced to the Final Four. Hoover High School retired Kelly’s jersey number in 2023.

The Tar Heels feel like that’s a good sign.

“She kind of runs the city of Hoover,” North Carolina teammate Indya Nivar said.

Kelly said she actually prayed for the Tar Heels to be placed in the Birmingham regional. She didn’t want to go to Spokane, Washington, when the team could be in the place she grew up.

UNC expects to have many supporters in attendance when the Tar Heels face Duke on Friday at 2:30 p.m. with a berth in the Elite 8 on the line. Many in that contingent wearing Tar Heel blue will come from Kelly’s cadre of supporters — the sophomore said she will have a low estimate of 50 people in attendance.

Maria Gakdeng, Grace Townsend and Blanca Thomas were among the Tar Heels who gave Kelly their extra friends and family tickets. They want her to have as many people in the stands as possible. Thomas said the team expects a “big squad rolling deep here.”

Sydney Barker, from Durham, North Carolina, grew up a UNC fan — both parents graduated from UNC. She understands how special it is to play in front of loved ones.

“These girls don’t normally get to experience that, so being here is awesome,” Barker said. “I just hope that we can get it done for her, in front of her family and the people that she loves. I feel like that would be really special for her.”

The willingness to give Kelly extra tickets speaks to the team’s bond, Barker said. The Tar Heels are more than just teammates. They’re sisters and friends. UNC’s excitement and support for Kelly is one example.

“I think we have taken that and we know that’s our advantage going into this tournament,” Barker said. “We’re so close and connected, and that just helps us so much on the court. We truly enjoy spending time together and playing together. I think that makes a big difference, because sometimes you don’t find teams who enjoy that. We’re just going to use that to our advantage and just try to be there for one another. We care about each other so deeply, so we’re just going to continue with that.”

Kelly averages just under 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. She recorded 11.4 points per game in ACC play, including a career-high 23-point performance against N.C. State.

The sophomore’s contributions landed her on the All-ACC second team. She also earned ACC and national player of the week honors following back-to-back 20-point outings against Virginia Tech and N.C. State.

Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart said she made multiple trips to Hoover when recruiting Kelly and knew the kind of player the Tar Heels were getting when Kelly first stepped on campus. Banghart called Kelly an “easy kid” who plays with passion, earning the praise and respect received.

“If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, no matter who you are rooting for in the game, then you should get your heart checked,” Banghart said. “These kids come from their communities, and they go make a major difference at their institutions.

“I know she’s a crown jewel of Hoover, and we’re certainly glad that she’s kind of taken over that role in Chapel Hill as well.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "‘A crown jewel’: UNC’s Reniya Kelly returns to hometown in Tar Heels’ trip to NCAA Sweet 16."

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer