UNC Women's Hoops: What to Expect at ACC Tipoff

Head coach Courtney Banghart, senior Indya Nivar, and junior Reniya Kelly will be taking the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to participate in the ACC Tipoff at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown hotel.

North Carolina will be one of the hot topics going into the 2025-2026 season, following its loss to the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 during the NCAAT earlier this year. UNC brings in four freshmen, two transfers and a group of returnees that are already familiar with ACC hoops.

UNC finished the 2024-2025 campaign with a 29-8 record and 13-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina's eight losses came against then-ranked No. 2 UConn, then-ranked No. 25, then-ranked No. 3 Notre Dame, Florida State, then-ranked No. 16, Virginia and No. 7 NC State.

Seniors Alysaa Utsby (10.9), Maria Gakdeng (10.8) and Lexi Donarski (10.7) led the UNC's scoring, making up the Top 3. Utsby led the team in rebounds with 9.5 per game as well as assists, recording 2.8.

There will be plenty of questions surrounding this team going into the ACC Tipoff (as UNC takes the stage in the afternoon following Virginia at 4:15 P.M. Then, breakout interviews are set for 4:30 p.m.

Oct 9, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart during ACC Media Days at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

What Should Tar Heel Fans Expect at ACC Tipoff?

North Carolina fans should expect questions regarding the loss of the four seniors, who contributed to the team's success last year. It will be a tall task to replace Ustby, Gakdeng, Donarski and Grace Townsend. But the talent that Bangahart and the staff were able to bring can continue its postseason success. In addition, the kind of offensive scheme the Tar Heels will be playing in, perhaps focusing more on spacing to allow driving lanes for attacks to the basket and opportunities for shooters.

Freshman Nyla Brooks, a McDonald's All-American, is expected to make an instant impact coming in with the ability to score at will and get creative in the mid-range area, or beat defenders off the dribble. Sophomore Lanie Grant had plenty of moments as a frosh last year, which led Banghart to believe she needs to be "2.0," as said during the media availability back in July.

The possibilities are endless, but the media will surely be invested in the Tar Heels as the season approaches.

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