Top 2025 recruit Taliyah Henderson commits to North Carolina

Taliyah Henderson, one of the top undecided recruits in the Class of 2025, has committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels, she told On3. 

“All of the other schools checked boxes, but North Carolina checked all the boxes,” Henderson of Tucson (Arizona) Salpointe Catholic said.

Henderson chose UNC over UConn, USC, Maryland, Tennessee and Ohio State. She visited campus twice – once when she was 11 and once this July. 

Both times were crucial in her decision. 

When Henderson was 11, she was visiting North Carolina for a track meet and stopped by campus. They were installing a new basketball court that no one had stepped foot on yet, but Henderson couldn’t resist. 

“There was caution tape all around it,” Henderson said with a laugh. “Technically, nobody was really supposed to go on there. But my dad gave me enough confidence that I was able to run across it. I was the first one to step on that court. Going back to that, I’ve always wanted to be there.” 

UNC good fit on, off court for Taliyah Henderson

Taliyah Henderson is also a rising sports media star, and North Carolina is home to one of the best journalism schools in the country. Academics were a major factor in Henderson’s eventual decision. 

“Being at a top journalism school in the country speaks for itself,” Henderson said. “You know that everything’s going to be good. You’re going to get the best of the best. You’re going to learn so much.” 

But above all, it was the connection that Henderson formed with head coach Courtney Banghart that led her to choose the Tar Heels. On her visit in July, they sat down for a long conversation about player development and the role she’d play in the program. 

“We had an instant connection,” Taliyah Henderson said. “They made it very clear, very early that they believed in me and wanted me wholeheartedly, and that they were going to do whatever it took. That, in itself, just spoke volumes. You always want a coach or a mentor that believes in you, because they’re going to do whatever it takes for you to succeed.”

Henderson has big plans for UNC

Henderson has big goals for herself and she believes North Carolina is the place that will help her achieve those goals. She wants to play in the WNBA and she wants to be in the Olympics playing for Team Canada. 

She wants to be a winner. 

“Coach Banghart has done an amazing job with the players she’s had, and now I want to be a part of that,” Henderson said. “I want to help build that culture, and I want to win a national championship. I want to win an ACC championship, and I want to win every game. That’s the mindset I’m going into my college freshman year with and I’m willing to help her recruit anybody who’s gonna help that goal.”