UNC: all-ACC center Mavunga granted release for transfer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina says it has granted a release for all-Atlantic Coast Conference center Stephanie Mavunga to pursue a transfer.

Mavunga said in a statement Friday she has “a heavy heart” in seeking the release to speak with other schools, and said it was for “personal reasons.”

She averaged 14.4 points and 9.6 rebounds for a team that reached the NCAA round of 16.

The announcement comes the same week classmate and leading scorer Allisha Gray transferred to South Carolina. And it comes a month after the NCAA hit UNC with five charges connected to the school’s long-running academic fraud scandal, including one focused on the conduct of a women’s basketball adviser.

Mavunga’s departure would mean UNC has lost the entire four-player recruiting class ranked No. 1 nationally in 2013.