For the second season in a row, a former North Carolina Tar Heel is transferring to Arizona. Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love joined Tommy Lloyd’s squad last offseason after three seasons in Chapel Hill. On Tuesday, former North Carolina guard Paulina Paris announced she will transfer to Arizona. She is the first transfer pickup of the 2024 offseason for Adia Barnes and the Wildcats.
Paris heads to Tucson after two years at UNC, but did not play much this past season for the Tar Heels. After 15 games, including eight starts, Paris was sidelined with a “lower-body injury” in January. Before the injury, she was averaging 5.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.
Before her injury, she impressed during the Tar Heels’ non-conference schedule. In the season opener against Gardner-Webb, Paris finished with 15 points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 30 minutes. In her start against Western Carolina in December, she put up 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 26 minutes.
As a freshman, Paris appeared in all 33 games, including four starts. She averaged 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 20.2 minutes per game. The exercise and sport science major earned All-ACC Academic Team honors and took home the ACC Freshman of the Week award after a career-high 22 point performance at Clemson in her first career start for the Tar Heels.
Before heading to Chapel Hill, the Congers, New York native played her high school at Saddle River Day School. She helped lead Saddle River to a 2022 state championship appearance, where she scored 23 points in the Rebels’ loss.
Coming out of high school, Paris was ranked 27th in the class of 2022 by ESPN HoopGurlz. She was a four-star recruit with a scouts grade of 95, and the No. 7 point guard in the class. She was also a Naismith High School Girls All-America honorable mention and named to the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic Girls National Team.
Paulina Paris will have two years of eligibility remaining as a transfer at Arizona. She joins a backcourt highlighted by rising-sophomores Jada Williams and Skylar Jones, and figures to compete for a starting role. She also joins Courtney Blakely and incoming freshmen guards Lauryn Swann and Mailien Rolf.