Just minutes after the final horn sounded on March 20 in Columbus, Ohio, Carolina women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart was asked to reflect on the legacy of her 2022-23 team.
"Fighters though adversity," the fourth-year head coach told the Tar Heels Sports Network audience. "When things don't go well, they don't walk away. They walk right into the fire."
Fighting – the good kind, playing hard and showing toughness – was an omnipresent aspect of this year's team. A group that was defined by a core of sophomores-turned-juniors coming off their first taste of national success in the 2022 NCAA Tournament entered the season with expectations.