Indya Nivar Is the Senior Leader She’s Called To Be

Indya Nivar is the oldest on the roster in terms of the number of years spent at UNC, a four-year Tar Heel. Louisville transfer Nyla Harris is the other senior on the team. Nivar and Harris make up the senior leadership on a roster filled with a lot of young players in year seven under head coach Courtney Banghart. And as a reminder, here is a full list of the roster and their year in college:

Liza Astakhova (FR), Nyla Brooks (FR), Taliyah Henderson (FR), Taissa Queiroz (FR), Elina Aarnisalo (SO), Lanie Grant (SO), Laila Hull (SO), Blanca Thomas (SO), Ciera Toomey (SO), Jordan Zubich (SO), Sydney Barker (JR), Reniya Kelly (JR), Harris (SR), Nivar (SR). And as mentioned, this roster is majority underclassmen.

Oct 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Indya Nivar (24) looks for the play against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Ta'Niya Latson (00) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

But why does this all matter? What importance does Nivar hold? Well, she is becoming the senior leader that this team needs, and then some. Besides leading the team in points, she is also a pest on defense and makes life hard for opposing ball-handlers — getting in the passing lanes, and turning sloppy passes into points in transition. Nivar is being the leader she is called to be by Banghart.

The 2025-2026 season is young, and North Carolina is 4-1 through five outings, losing to No. 3 UCLA on the road on the West Coast on a neutral court. And in that game, UNC learned a lot about itself and what needs to be fixed moving forward. This is where the leadership of Nivar comes into play and makes her presence felt — inside the locker room and on the hardwood floor.

Oct 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Indya Nivar (24) attempts to shoot the ball against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson (5) and center Madina Okot (11) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Nivar's Season Averages

Nivar leads the team with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists per game. She also steals the ball three times each contest, and shoots 48 percent from the field, 53 percent from the free throw line and 23 percent from the three-point line. The Apex, North Carolina, native does all of that through 24 minutes of play, which is. the fourth most right behind Lanie Grant, Ciera Toomey and Elina Aarnisalo.

North Carolina will lean on Nivar's leadership, especially with the upcoming schedule of playing in the 2025 Cancun Challenge, followed by a big-time ACC/SEC challenge game when the Tar Heels take on Texas on the road. The next four-game stretch will tell a lot about UNC, and what it is able to do during an important stretch of the season.

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