Photo courtesy of Jeffrey A. Camarati/UNC Athletics
Reniya Kelly, former Hoover High School star and current North Carolina player, returns to Birmingham to play in the NCAA Tournament this week. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey A. Camarati/UNC Athletics.
A familiar face will be in a familiar place this weekend.
Former Hoover High School star Reniya Kelly will take the floor at the BJCC's Legacy Arena on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., starting for the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels are taking on arch rival Duke in the NCAA Tournament as part of the Sweet 16 in Birmingham.
Adjusting to her surroundings should not take long for the sophomore guard.
It will be her first time on the Legacy Arena floor since winning her fourth state championship at Hoover in 2023. Kelly won three of her state titles on that very floor and went 7-1 at the BJCC in her high school career.
"This is like a full cycle for me," Kelly said Thursday at a press conference, via Sara Tidwell of the Fayetteville Observer. "I'm really excited to be here, especially because my family and friends can come out and see me. It's really a blessing to be back home and be close, like only 20 minutes away from my house."
Kelly is putting together a strong campaign for the Tar Heels. She is averaging 9.8 points per game and has eclipsed double-digit points 13 times. She scored 11 points in North Carolina's second-round win over West Virginia last weekend.
There will be several people in the crowd Friday who witnessed Kelly's incredible high school career. She is the Hoover all-time leading scorer with 2,272 points and only lost 10 total games over her five varsity years. She won Miss Basketball as a senior and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year as well. Hoover retired her jersey following her illustrious career.
If North Carolina wins, the Tar Heels will play in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
