North Carolina women’s basketball has landed a major recruitment coup — **Elizaveta Astakhova**, a 6‑foot‑1 wing who spent the 2024–25 season playing professionally in Russia, has officially committed to the Tar Heels for the 2025–26 season ([chapelboro.com][1]).
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### 🔥 Profile: Who is Elizaveta Astakhova?
* **Dual‑league experience**: Astakhova played in Russia’s top‑tier PBL for MBA Moscow and saw action in the Superleague 1 with MBA‑2.
* **Solid pro development**: She averaged 4.7 points per game in PBL, while shooting 24.6% from three and 68.2% from the free throw line across 39 games. In Superleague 1 play, she boosted those numbers to 11.5 PPG, 33.3% from deep, and a 76.5% free‑throw clip ([chapelboro.com][1]).
* **International upside**: At just 18, Astakhova joins UNC as one of the highest‑level international “rookies” in the Banghart era.
Astakhova adds size, versatility, and much‑needed experience to a UNC roster that will lose several key contributors, including Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng, and Lexi Donarski, to graduation and the WNBA ([goheels.com][2]).
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### 🏀 A Valuable Addition to the Tar Heels
Head coach Courtney Banghart is building a team that balances youth and proven winners. Enter Astakhova — her professional seasoning overseas will be a valuable asset for a UNC squad aiming to maintain and elevate its new identity following a Sweet 16 appearance ([goheels.com][2]).
Incorporating a young international forward with pro experience offers several benefits:
1. **Veteran mentality**: She understands what it takes to play consistently at an advanced level — a mindset UNC hopes to instill in its younger core.
2. **Frontcourt balance**: Astakhova brings both size and shooting potential, offering Courtney’s system a multi‑dimensional post/wing threat.
3. **Cultural enrichment**: Her diverse experience will help shape a team known for its “team-first” chemistry — currently led by returners like Indya Nivar, Laila Hull, and Sydney Barker ([tarheeltimes.com][3], [goheels.com][2]).
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### 🔙 Looking Back: UNC’s Incoming Class & Returnees
UNC is riding momentum with one of the top five‑year recruiting classes in the country. ESPN ranks the 2025 class No. 5 nationally, behind only powerhouse programs like UConn and South Carolina ([tarheeltimes.com][3]).
* **Five‑star wing Nyla Brooks** headlines the 2025 class
* **Taliyah Henderson**, a four‑star international forward
* **Taissa Queiroz**, a Brazilian guard who’s already on campus and impacted at the U18 level ([tarheeltribune.com][4], [goheels.com][5])
That class will supplement existing talent such as:
* **Indya Nivar** (Big 5 debut; exited Stanford to return home and help lead UNC’s rise) ([en.wikipedia.org][6])
* **Reniya Kelly**, a dynamic guard and former Alabama star ([en.wikipedia.org][7])
* **Maria Gakdeng**, a reliable interior presence and a Second‑Team All‑ACC performer ([en.wikipedia.org][8])
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### 🎯 What This Means for 2025–26
With Astakhova in tow, UNC’s roster composition strengthens in several ways:
* **Interior cohesion**: Post-ups, rebounding, and rim protection improve dramatically.
* **Versatile wing play**: Expect Astakhova to offer spacing, shot creation, and switchable defense.
* **Deeper rotation**: With key contributors graduating, her presence shores up the bench’s depth.
* **Elevated expectations**: Complemented by strong recruiting, UNC is aiming for continued NCAA tournament contention and deeper postseason runs.
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### 📝 Coach Banghart’s Blueprint
Courtney Banghart’s vision is clearly unfolding: an energetic program with recruiting momentum and a focus on cultivating strong, cohesive teams. The past two seasons have shown growth — including a memorable Sweet 16 run and hosting tournament games for the first time in a decade ([chapelboro.com][1], [goheels.com][2]).
Blending incoming freshmen, high-caliber transfers, and professionally experienced players, Banghart is engineering a roster with:
* **Youth and potential** — with elite recruits like Brooks, Henderson, and Queiroz
* **Experience and leadership** — from returners and now Astakhova’s pro seasoning
* **Depth at all levels**, particularly frontcourt
This strategic mix sets UNC up to challenge top ACC and national teams in 2025–26.
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### 🏆 Looking Ahead
Expect Astakhova to contribute from day one. While learning NCAA rules and play, her maturity should make her a reliable role-player early on. As the season matures, she may emerge as a trusted two-way option, balancing UNC’s youthful energy with her seasoned professional mindset.
For fans and followers, her commitment is a reminder: Tar Heel women’s basketball is serious about climbing to the top. With the right mix of players coming together, 2025–26 could be a year they solidify their return to national relevance — and possibly beyond.
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**In summary**: Elizaveta Astakhova’s commitment gives UNC a rare blend of youth, experience, and depth. She balances a roster that’s already loaded with five-star talent, returning standouts, and hungry newcomers. Under Courtney Banghart’s stewardship, this is shaping up to be a season where the Tar Heels can expect not just to compete — but to contend.