UNC's Indya Nivar Discusses Reniya Kelly, Next Level, and Defense

The UNC women's basketball program was represented by head coach Courtney Banghart, senior guard Indya Nivar and junior guard Reniya Kelly at the 2025 ACC Tipoff. The Tar Heels finished the 2024-2025 season with a record of 29-8. Nivar, an Apex, North Carolina native, averaged 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and two assists per contest as a junior, shooting 36.8 percent from the field.

With it being Nivar's final season in Chapel Hill, the dream of going to the next level is ahead, and she shared more about what went into the adventures during the offseason.

“Yeah, this last year, knowing that I want to go to the next level is the main thing this season," said Nivar." "This offseason, I was very intentional in the way that I prepared for this season. I had my trainer, and we just, we worked on every skill that I wasn't really good at last this past season. Wanted to get better at my finishing my handling, and then also being able to run the point, handling the ball, reading defenses, yeah, and just being able to slow the game down, preparing for the next level. I feel like that's that was just the biggest adjustment for this, this offseason.”

Nivar sat atop the stats in the steals department last year, leading her teammates with two per game. The Tar Heels will need that same kind of production to be effective on the defensive end against teams like South Carolina, UCLA and Texas, all Final Four teams from this past April — opponents who will be huge tests for Banghart and the staff to learn more about their team — areas of improvement, specifically.

"I'm just a competitor at heart, so I hate when people score on me, like sometimes gets me in trouble, because then I end up fouling sometimes. But no, just making it difficult for the other team, because it's whoever scores the most. And I want, I don't want them to score too many points. I love playing defense. It's definitely something I take pride in.”

Indya Nivar on Junior Guard Reniya Kelly

During the journey at the ACC Tipoff, Nivar spoke more about Kelly's game and the kind mentality growth she has had as time passed.

Oct 12, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, US; UNC coach Courtney Banghart during the ACC Women s Basketball Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

“Her consistency throughout every game. Feel like she stayed. She was somebody that we can always rely on, even in those tough moments. I feel like we had so many games back-to-back where she came in and clutch like we wouldn’t have a worry in the world, because we knew that as a team, and we knew Reniya was going to pull through for us as well. But yeah, I feel like skill-wise, she had the skills, you know, that mentality shift, making sure she had a strong foundation as well in her faith."

Indya Nivar and Reniya Kelly — Senior guard Indya Nivar and junior guard Reniya Kelly | Nell Redmond/theACC.com

Nivar and Kelly will be two pieces that will serve as the foundation for UNC women's basketball, but time will tell whether or not their leadership can take the team the distance during March.

Please follow us on X when you click right here!

Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right here!