University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Western Illinois
WBB Set To Face Western Illinois In NCAA First Round
March 19, 2026 | Women's Basketball
No. 4 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (26-7, 14-4 ACC)
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (Dartmouth, 2000)
Record at North Carolina: 151-71 (7th season)
Career Record: 405-174 (19th season)
No. 13 WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS
Head Coach: JD Gravina (William Jewell, 2000)
Record at Western Illinois: 241-215 (15th season)
Career Record: 355-276 (21st season)
TIPPING OFF
• For the 14th time and in back-to-back seasons, the road to the Final Four runs through Carmichael Arena as Carolina is set to host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
• Going head-to-head for the second time in program history against Western Illinois, the Tar Heels face off against the Ohio Valley Conference Champs. Carolina and the Leathernecks last met in 1995 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in Chapel Hill. Running off to an 89-48 win, Carolina ultimately reached the Sweet 16.
• When hosting NCAA Tournament action in Carmichael Arena, Carolina is 24-1 all-time. In first-round games, UNC is 25-6 overall and has reached the second round in the last four seasons.
SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
After winning two games at the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, Western Illinois makes its third overall NCAA Tournament appearance and its first since 2017.
Rattling off 18 conference wins, the Leathernecks clinched the regular season OVC title to secure the No. 1 overall seed heading into the conference tournament.
Earning OVC Coach of the Year, head coach JD Gravina and Co. led the league in scoring with an average of 75.9 points per game.
OVC Player of the Year Mia Nicastro paced the conference with 16 double-doubles after averaging 24.2 points per game to rank No. 4 overall in the nation.
CAROLINA VS. THE LEATHERNECKS
Carolina and Western Illinois meet for the second time ever, with the lone previous meeting coming in the 1995 NCAA Tournament.
In the first round game from Chapel Hill, Carolina earned an 89-48 victory over the Leathernecks in Carmichael Arena.
Against teams from the OVC, Carolina is 11-3 all-time. The Tar Heels last faced off against an Ohio Valley team in 2014, defeating UT Martin in the First Round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, 60-58 at Carmichael Arena.
TAR HEELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Carolina heard its name called on Selection Sunday to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time, marking its sixth consecutive season with a trip to the big dance.
Earning a No. 4 seed in the Fort Worth - Region 1, it marks Carolina's seventh time on the four line and first since 2015. The Tar Heels are 11-6 overall as a four seed, and have reached the Sweet 16 in each year as a No. 4.
Carolina has been slotted as a four-seed or higher 20 times, and earned a four-seed or higher for the first time in consecutive seasons since 2014 & 2015.
Dating back to 1983, North Carolina has a 54-31 record in the NCAA Tournament. Making its 33rd appearance in program history, UNC is one of seven schools in the nation to make the big dance 33 times or more.
Hosting for the 14th time, NCAA Basketball returns to Carmichael Arena for the second straight season.
The Tar Heels are 25-6 in their opening game of the tournament and 24-1 in games played in Chapel Hill. A win on Sunday would give Carolina its fourth straight appearance in the second round.
With two wins in Carmichael Arena, the Tar Heels have the chance to advance to their 20th overall Sweet 16 and the third under Courtney Banghart.
LAST TIME OUT
Carolina could not withstand a second-half surge in the ACC Tournament Semifinals, falling 65-57 to Louisville in Duluth, Ga.
Holding the Cardinals scoreless for the final two minutes of the first half, Carolina found itself facing a one-point deficit at the break.
Facing multiple scoring lulls due to the Cardinal defense, Carolina struggled to convert on offense, despite contributions from Elina Aarnisalo, Lanie Grant and Nyla Brooks in double-figure scoring.
THREES ARE IN THE FORECAST
Knocking down the three-ball at a high rate all season long, Carolina drained seven as a team against Virginia Tech to break the previous program record of 269 made triples set last season.
Four of the top-10 seasons in makes from beyond the arc now belong to Courtney Banghart teams.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Carolina sits at 277 total triples as a team.
Lanie Grant leads all Tar Heels this season with 66 makes from deep.
Nyla Brooks also boasts 50 or more makes from deep, with 58 total in her freshman campaign.
E'S LIGHTING IT UP
The last week of the regular season proved to be electric for Elina Aarnisalo, with the sophomore becoming the first Tar Heel this season to post back-to-back 20-point outings.
Hitting a career-high four threes in both games against Virginia and Duke, Aarnisalo shot the three-ball at an 80% clip on the week. She also dished out four assists per game, as well as grabbing seven rebounds.
Aarnisalo has hit her stride as a distributor, racking up at least four assists in the last nine games. The Finnish guard dished out a season-high six helpers in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals vs. Virginia Tech.
ALL-ACC HEELS
A trio of Tar Heels picked up All-ACC accolades as the league announced its yearly awards, with Carolina making its presence known.
Earning the first conference honor of her career, Nyla Harris was named All-ACC First Team by the league's coaches and All-ACC Second Team by the Blue Ribbon Media Panel. Harris is the third Tar Heel under Banghart to earn the recognition and the 24th overall in the history of the program.
Stuffing the stat sheet this year, Indya Nivar earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team for the first league honor of her career as well. Nivar was also highlighted for her defensive prowess, with All-Defensive honors. She's the seventh Tar Heel to earn an All-Defensive nod and the first since 2013. Nivar is also the fifth to pick up All-ACC Second Team accolades under Banghart.
For the second season in a row, a Tar Heel found themself on the All-Freshman Team with Nyla Brooks recognized for her success in her debut campaign. The rookie is the fourth for Carolina to earn ACC All-Freshman honors in the Banghart era.
STACKING ALL THE WAY TO 25 WINS
For the second straight season and the third under Banghart, Carolina has pieced together another 25-win campaign.
It's the first time Carolina has notched back-to-back 25-win seasons since 2013-14 & 2014-15.
VS. RANKED TEAMS
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels are 22-33 overall against AP Top-25 teams.
Carolina's ranked foes of the season include Duke and Louisville twice, No. 2 Texas in Austin, and No. 3 UCLA in Las Vegas.
All-time, Carolina is 59-83 against ranked foes on a neutral floor.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
After tying the previous record of 14 single-game threes twice this season, Carolina finally broke through with 16 made triples at Virginia.
Six Tar Heels combined to shatter the record, with Elina Aarnisalo knocking down a team-high of four.
Not only did the Tar Heels break the record, but they shot an efficient 16-of-24 beyond the arc at a clip of 66.7%. Its field goal percentage from deep tied the single-game record in the Banghart era.
DON'T LET CAROLINA GET HOT
Shooting the ball on-point and on-target at Virginia, Carolina went 29-of-50 from the field en route to a 58.0% clip from the floor.
It marked the best field goal percentage in an ACC game since 2006, when Carolina shot 58.3% at Georgia Tech.
Against ACC foes this season, Carolina shot at a 55% clip or higher from the floor in three ACC games. This is the first time the feat has happened in available stats dating back to the 2002-03 season.
SEE YOU IN DULUTH!
With the win over Virginia, Carolina clinched a third-place finish in the ACC standings and the three seed for the 2026 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament in Duluth, Ga.
A third-place finish in the league is the best for the program under Banghart and overall since 2013.
WALK IN & TAKE OVER
Over the past two seasons, Carolina has gone into numerous rowdy road environments and come away with wins as the Tar Heels are 17-4 during the stretch on the road.
With nine road victories in 2024-25 and eight this season, the Tar Heels have notched eight-plus road wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2006-07 & 2007-08 seasons.
Overall, Carolina has picked up seven or more road wins in 20 seasons, including this year.
A win at Virginia gave Carolina eight road wins for the 10th time in school history.
EVERY ACC WIN MATTERS
Each game in ACC action is primed to be a battle, in which the Tar Heels have made sure to take advantage of.
Defeating Duke propelled Carolina to its 14th ACC win, the best in the Banghart era and the most since 2012-13. The Tar Heels have now posted consecutive 13 ACC win seasons for the first time in school history.
The win over Pitt gave Carolina is in its second-straight season with 12 or more ACC wins, the first time the Tar Heels have done so since the 2004-05 & 2005-06 seasons.
Previously, Carolina has picked up 12 or more ACC wins in 10 total seasons, including twice under Courtney Banghart.
Earning 11 wins marked another milestone for the program, as it reached its fifth straight season with the mark. The last time Carolina had five consecutive seasons with 11 ACC wins was a seven-year run from 2002 to 2008.
POINTS COME AT A PREMIUM
When squaring off against Carolina, points are hard to come by, with its defense renowned as one of the best in the nation.
This season, the Tar Heels have limited 12 opponents to 50 points or less to rank No. 3 in a single-season in school history.
Banghart owns three of the five total seasons at Carolina in holding 10 or more opponents below the mark.
Opponents Held to 50 Points or Less
1. 2021-22 14 games
2. 2006-07 13 games
3. 2025-26 12 games
4. 2024-25 11 games
5. 1994-95 10 games
Carolina has thrived on the defensive end against ACC foes, holding league opponents under 50 points to match the program's best.
ACC Opponents Held to 50 Points or Less
1. 2025-26 5 games
2021-22 5 games
3. 2022-23 3 games
2003-04 3 games
THREES ON THREES ON THREES
When Carolina shoots from beyond the arc, there's a high chance it's going in. At Virginia, Carolina finally broke through and drained a school record 16 threes.
This season, Carolina has knocked down 10-plus triples in 13 games, which sets the best in a single season in statistics available through 2002-03. It's also the first time the Tar Heels have drained 10-plus threes in 10 games or more.
One of the best three-point shooting teams nationally at No. 15 overall, Carolina leads the ACC from beyond the arc at a 36.1% clip and also sits first with 8.4 triples per game.
Lanie Grant is a big factor in Carolina's success from deep, with the Tar Heel No. 1 overall in the ACC from beyond the arc at a 43.1% clip.
R E J E C T E D
All over the ball against Virginia Tech, Carolina swatted an ACC game-high eight shots against the Hokies.
Four Tar Heels recorded a block, with rookie Nyla Brooks a menace on the defensive end with three rejections.
The eight blocks were the most for Carolina against an ACC foe since January of 2024.
Ciera Toomey has rejected a team-high 51 blocks this year and is the first Tar Heel with 50 or more since 2024. Among all ACC players, Toomey ranks No. 4 in the league with 1.55 rejections per outing.
BROOKS IS A BUCKET
There's no doubt that Nyla Brooks has made a splash in her rookie campaign, with the freshman averaging 8.6 points per game and having knocked down a total of 58 triples to date.
Brooks is the first freshman with 50 or more threes in her debut season since Stephanie Watts drained 76 triples in 2015-16.
DEFENSE IN OUR DNA
For any team going against the Tar Heels, there's a high chance that most of the shots won't go through the net.
This season, Carolina has held 19 opponents under 40% from the field and is undefeated while doing so.
In each of the last five seasons, the Tar Heels have held 15 or more opponents under to 40% from the field. In league action, Carolina held 11 teams below the mark.
Overall, Carolina is holding its opponents to 36.8% from the field to lead the league.
FREE BASKETBALL
By knocking off Syracuse and Virginia Tech in overtime, Carolina has now come away with a win in extra time for the second year in-a-row.
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels have picked up five wins when extra time is needed.
The two wins in extra time match the most for Carolina since the 2017-18 season.
Four overtime games in a year is the most in a season for Carolina since 2000-01.
Luckily, the Tar Heels have not played in a double-overtime contest since December of 2014.
ANYONE'S NIGHT
It's no secret that the Tar Heels boast a balanced attack, with four averaging over 10.0 points per game and six averaging 8.5 points per game or more.
Carolina has had three or more double-figure scorers in 30 games this season. The mark ranks second overall in the ACC.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NET
The metrics come into play more and more as we draw closer to March, with Carolina at 19 overall in the NET prior to its start in the ACC Tournament.
The win at Virginia gave Carolina its third Quad 1 win of the season, with three of four coming on the road. Carolina then earned its first home Quad 1 win by defeating Duke in Carmichael Arena.
The Tar Heels are 13-7 against teams in Quads 1 and 2.
BOUNCE BACK
This season, Carolina is 5-1 in its next game when coming off a loss.
Overall, the Tar Heels are 39-25 under Courtney Banghart off a loss and 29-12 since the start of the 2021-22 season.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
Scoring early and often against SMU, the 52-point victory set a new best as the largest margin of victory in an ACC game in program history.
The 94-point outing is now the most points scored against an ACC foe in the Courtney Banghart era and the most in a conference game since 2015.
Dating back to the 2000 season, North Carolina has scored 90-plus points in an ACC game 31 times.
NYLA SQUARED
The rookie and the vet combo of Nyla Brooks and Nyla Harris make quite the pair as the two posted a combined 40 points in the win at Wake Forest.
This season, the Tar Heels are 10-1 when the freshman and the senior each score in double-figures.
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, INDYA IS THERE
Always there when you need some help, Indya Nivar is tallying up the assists this season as the senior posted back-to-back games with a career-high tying seven dimes against Clemson and Wake Forest.
Nivar has already bested her previous season-career best with 68 assists as the senior hit 100 assists against the Demon Deacons. She averaged 4.1 helpers per game in ACC action.
Dishing out five or more dimes in 12 games to date this season, Nivar is the first Tar Heel to do so since Alyssa Ustby during the 2023-24 season.
Nivar is the fifth Tar Heel in the Courtney Banghart era to eclipse 100 or more assists in a season.
Sitting at 123 total assists, Nivar is first Tar Heel to dish out 120 or more assists since the 2019-20 season.
20-WINS SECURED
A win in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest gave Carolina its 34th 20-win season and its fifth straight.
A fifth consecutive 20-victory season matches Carolina's longest streak since the 2010-11 through the 2014-15 seasons.
THE JOURNEY TO 400
In her 19th season as a head coach, Courtney Banghart hit the 400-career win mark in the triumph over SMU.
Reaching the threshold, Banghart is now one of 53 active coaches in Division I women's basketball with 400 or more wins.
D-E-F-E-N-S-E, D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Good luck scoring against the Tar Heels, as Carolina has limited five ACC opponents to under 50 points in league action. It matches the most league teams held under 50 points in the Courtney Banghart era, last occurring during the 2021-22 season.
During Carolina's eight-game win streak during ACC play, the Tar Heels held two opponents under the 50-point mark.
As a team, the Tar Heels led ACC teams in limiting their opponents to 58.8 points per game and also lead the league in holding teams to 36.6% from the field.
Carolina held both Clemson and Georgia Tech to its ACC low in scoring.
PACK THE PAINT
Finding open shots on the inside has been key in Carolina's success in the recent stretch of conference play in a combined team effort.
Against Boston College and SMU, the Tar Heels posted their ACC-high with 52 points on the inside. Carolina has tallied 50+ points in the paint in five games this year, including three in league play.
Overall, this season, Carolina is averaging 35.6 points per game in the paint overall and 32.1 in ACC action.
DYNAMIC DUO
The pair of Nyla Harris and Lanie Grant was electrifying throughout ACC play for Carolina, with the duo posting a combined 23.5 points per game in league play.
In the stretch, Harris scored a season-high 21 points against Syracuse and shot a hot clip of 57.6% from the floor. She also averaged a smooth 7.3 rebounds per game.
Grant shoot lights out from beyond the arc, draining 39 threes at a clip of 43.3%. Against Syracuse, the sophomore drained a career-high five triples.
THRIVING IN THE THIRD
Coming out of the half, the Tar Heels love to make an impact in the third quarter. Carolina is averaging a quarter-best 20.8 points per game in the frame.
The Tar Heels have earned six come from behind wins this season when trailing at the half and can be attributed to its success in the third quarter.
This season, Carolina is 24-1 overall when leading through three.
STUFF THE STAT SHEET
As Carolina's leading distributor, Indya Nivar has racked up five or more assists in 12 games. The senior has matched her career-best four times with seven assists against Kansas State, Clemson.at Wake Forest and at Virginia.
This season, Nivar has tallied six games with at least five points, five rebounds, and five assists. Throughout her career, she's totaled eight games with the mark.
GOING STREAKING
Rattling off eight consecutive wins in conference play, the Tar Heels hit their stride to match the longest streak against ACC foes since 2023.
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels have ridden three streaks in conference play with five or more wins, the longest being eight straight against conference opponents during the 2022-23 season.
Carolina has posted seven straight ACC wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
The three-ball has clearly been flying at a high rate for the Tar Heels, as Carolina drained 147 total triples in ACC action. The total of triples marks a new ACC single-season best under Banghart.
Grant paces the Tar Heels against all foes with 66 total triples this season. In ACC action, the sophomore is shot the three-ball at a blistering 42.9% clip.
MAKE 'EM MISS
Known for an aggressive defensive presence, the Tar Heels led all ACC teams in conference play by holding their opponents to 35.3% from the field.
Against ACC foes, the Tar Heels held 11 teams below 40% from the field. Carolina has held 11 of its last 15 opponents below the threshold.
Prior to the win at Wake Forest, Carolina had held six straight opponents to under 40% from the field.
In forcing four ACC teams under 30% shooting, Carolina accomplished the feat for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
On the defensive end, Carolina has limited five teams to under 50 points. Through 18 conference games, the Tar Heels held teams to 59.94 points per game to rank second in the league.
1K CLUB
Scoring six points against Georgia Tech, Nyla Harris eclipsed the 1,000career point threshold in Atlanta.
The senior is averaging 8.4 points per game throughout her career, and 11.3 in her lone season as a Tar Heel.
Against Syracuse, Harris came alive in the paint to score a career-high 21 points. Her presence was felt on the defensive side, with a season-high 11 rebounds.
This season, Harris boasts five double-doubles with three coming in ACC action.
She scored 10 plus points in 14 out of 18 conference games.
DOMINATE THE GLASS
Not only did the Tar Heels grab a season-high 55 rebounds at Georgia Tech, but they also bullied the Yellow Jackets off the glass with a rebounding margin of +21. The Tar Heels bodied Pitt as well with 55 rebounds for another margin of +21.
Carolina's largest rebounding margin in an ACC game this season came against SMU at +30.
Ciera Toomey was dominant in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, collecting a career-high 15 rebounds. Her rebounds also marked the most in a single game by a Tar Heel this year.
Under Banghart, Carolina has tallied 50-plus rebounds against ACC foes in 14 total games.
13 out of 14 of Carolina's ACC wins came when outrebounding its opponent. Overall, Carolina is 24-2 this season when outrebounding its opponents.
GRIT OVER QUIT
Points came at a premium in Carolina's victory at Georgia Tech, with the Tar Heels grinding away to earn the 54-46 victory. The same proved to be a factor in the 53-44 win over Clemson.
Under Banghart, the Tar Heels have won eight games when scoring under 55 points.
SECOND CHANCE - TAKEN
Taking advantage, Carolina tallied a season-high 21 second-chance points in the victory at Wake Forest.
The Tar Heels tallied 15+ second-chance points in the stretch against Miami, Florida State, and Georgia Tech for the longest stretch since December of 2023.
This season, Carolina is averaging 12.2 second-chance points per outing.
HERE COMES RK
With the third 20-point outing of her career, Reniya Kelly was unstoppable against Miami. The junior came out strong with nine points in the first quarter en route to a career-high 24 points.
Kelly was the first Tar Heel to eclipse the 20-point threshold in a game this season.
Hot from all over the floor, Kelly shot 9-of-14 from the field and knocked down four of five triples.
In ACC action, Kelly averaged 9.4 points per game.
STEALS ON STEALS ON STEALS
Always having her eye on the ball, Indya Nivar has proven to be one of the most tenacious defenders in the nation.
Nivar currently ranks No. 31 overall nationally with a total of 86 steals and No. 35 with 2.7 steals per game. She's snagged three or more steals in 15 total games this season.
The senior is the first Tar Heel to snag 70 steals in a season since 2012-13.
KEEPING IT 100
Despite its past struggles from the charity stripe this season, Carolina locked in against Miami and Florida State to knock down all 10 and then nine of its free-throw attempts.
Carolina followed up its performance against the Hurricanes, shooting 9-of-9 from the charity stripe in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels have now shot perfectly from the line in five games under Banghart.
Both games set a new mark as the most attempted without a miss in a game during the Banghart era, marking the only such occurrence dating back to the 2002-03 season. Carolina has never shot 100% from the line in two straight games in a season, going back to 2002-03.
BATTLING ON THE BOARDS
The rebounding battle is key to Carolina's success this season, as the Tar Heels are 24-2 when winning the boards.
In Carolina's 14 ACC wins, the Tar Heels outrebounded their opponents by an average of +10.6 boards per game.
Overall, Carolina owns a rebounding margin of +7.5 this season.
CLICKING IN CONFERENCE
Scoring in double figures in the first four conference games, Nyla Harris rattled off a career-long streak in league action.
Harris was the first Tar Heel to start off league action riding a five-game double-digit scoring streak since Alyssa Ustby did so at the start of 2022-23 ACC play.
The senior forward posted double-figures in 14 out of 18 conference games.
Harris shot 57.6% from the floor en route to 12.6 points per outing in ACC games.
WELCOMING NOELLE TO THE FOLD
After graduating early from Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Ariz., Noelle Bofia has joined the Tar Heels for the Spring of 2026.
A four-star recruit and rated as the No. 52 overall prospect in the Class of 2026 by ESPN, Bofia is set to redshirt and practice with the Tar Heels this semester.
B A L A N C E
In any given game, any Tar Heel has the chance to shine with three currently averaging double-figures in scoring for Carolina.
So far this season, nine different Tar Heels have led in scoring in a game, with nine overall posting double-figure outings.
Lanie Grant has paced the Tar Heels as the leading scorer in 12 games.
PASS THE BALL
Dishing out the ball at a high rate, 24 assists at Boston College and against SMU marked a new season-high for UNC. Carolina has dished out 20 or more assists in nine games this season.
Lanie Grant dropped a new career-high with five assists at Boston College, while overall 11 Tar Heels dished out an assist in the road victory.
Against SMU, 10 Tar Heels dropped a helper with Elina Aarnisalo setting her season-high with five.
Overall, Carolina has dished out 15+ assists in 20 games this year. Indya Nivar currently paces Carolina with 3.8 dimes per game and has dished out five or more helpers in 12 games.
ALL HANDS IN
As all 14 Tar Heels entered the game against UNCW, Carolina's reserves made a strong impact against the Seahawks.
The Carolina bench posted 49 points against the Seahawks, the most in a game this season.
45 bench points against SMU set a Banghart era best against an ACC team.
Averaging 24.6 points per game from its reserves, Carolina ranks No. 3 in the ACC and No. 36 nationally in bench points per game.
21 out of 26 wins this season have come when the Tar Heel bench outscores their opponent.
COUGH IT UP
Forcing 20 or more turnovers in 10 games this season, Carolina is averaging 16.30 per game from its opponents to rank seventh overall in the ACC.
Last year, Carolina forced 13 teams to turn the ball over 20 or more times.
Currently, Carolina is averaging 17.5 points per game off opponent miscues.
The Tar Heels scored an ACC high 30 points against SMU due to Mustang turnovers.
LOCK DOWN DEFENSE
Aggressive defense is a focal point under head coach Courtney Banghart, and her teams have proven so.
In year seven of the Banghart era, the Tar Heels have held 53 opponents under the 50-point threshold. This season, UNC has kept 10 opponents under the mark.
The Tar Heels are 51-2 under Banghart when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points.
By limiting Boston College to 39 points, Carolina has now held 15 teams under Banghart below the 40-point threshold.
NO SHOTS HERE
Limiting SMU to a mere 12 made field goals marked the fewest allowed in a game by the Tar Heels this season.
Carolina limited UNCW to only four points in the fourth quarter, the lowest by any opponent in a quarter this year.
In the second quarter at Boston College, UNC held the Eagles to only five points, the fewest by an ACC team this season.
KEEPING ALL INVOLVED
Already proving to be one of Carolina's best offenses under Courtney Banghart, Carolina's scoring options are plentiful, as nine different Tar Heels have recorded double-figure games.
15 out of 26 of Carolina's wins this season have come when four or more Tar Heels record double-figures in scoring.
Indya Nivar paces this trend, scoring 10 or more points in 21 out of 31 games played this season.
GOING STREAKING
Riding a 34-game home win streak against unranked non-conference opponents, Carolina took care of business and earned wins.
During this streak, Carolina boasts a margin of victory of 38.3 points in the 34 consecutive wins dating back to 2019.
THRIVING IN PARADISE
Rattling off three wins in three days at the 2025 Cancun Challenge, North Carolina picked up its second straight multi-team event title and its fifth under Banghart.
Indya Nivar took home Cancun Challenge Tournament MVP honors, while Lanie Grant earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
CAN'T STOP HER
In Cancun, Indya Nivar stuffed the stat sheet and averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.7 steals, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 56.3% from the floor.
Nivar is the first player in the Banghart era to snag four or more steals in three straight games.
Her seven assists against Kansas State were the most by any Tar Heel in a single game this season and set a new career high for the senior.
Her play in Cancun earned her ACC Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. Reniya Kelly joins her as the only two active Tar Heels to earn the distinction.
HISTORY - WRITTEN
In a historic performance, Indya Nivar's triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 steals marked the second triple-double in the rich history of Carolina women's basketball.
Nivar joins former teammate Alyssa Ustby as the only two Tar Heels to achieve the feat.
Her 10 steals also etched her name again in the Carolina record books, matching the program single-game record set by Pam Leake in 1985.
Nivar is the second ACC player to record a triple-double this season, and the 50th in the history of the conference.
By recording a triple-double with steals, Nivar is the fourth to accomplish the feat in the history of the league.
WINNING IS A TRADITION
Throughout the history of North Carolina women's basketball, it has boasted 34 20-win seasons.
A win over South Dakota State gave Carolina its 1,100th program victory. The Tar Heels became the 17th Division I women's program to reach the mark and the third in the ACC.
LOOKING BETTER IN CAROLINA BLUE
Elina Aarnisalo spent one season at UCLA and made a run to the Final Four with the Bruins, before making her way to Chapel Hill. An elite distributor, Aarnisalo averaged 3.4 assists per game to rank 15th among all Division I freshmen last season.
No stranger to the ACC, Nyla Harris chose to spend her final season in Carolina Blue after three seasons at Louisville.
As one of the most efficient shooters in the league the past two years, Harris led the Cardinals from the field as a sophomore and junior.
Regarded as one of the nation's top forwards, Harris also found herself on the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Top-20 watch list.
THE FIERCE FRESHMEN
Youth is abundant for the Tar Heels, as Carolina brought in a highly rated freshman class with one international star and three ranked in ESPN's top 100 for the Class of 2025.
Following two years on the professional circuit in Russia, Moscow native Liza Astakhova is ready to take her European game to the United States. Joining the Tar Heels in August, Astakhova looks to provide depth after appearing in 39 games last year with the Russia-PBL.
The fifth McDonald's All-American recruited by Banghart, Nyla Brooks is poised to make some noise in her debut campaign.
Coming out of Bishop Ireton High School, Brooks earned a multitude of honors throughout her prep career. The guard came in as the No. 13 overall prospect in the Class of 2025 by ESPN and picked up honors as the Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Most recently, Brooks was touted as one of ESPN's Most Impactful Freshmen and was named the first Tar Heel to the ACC Preseason All-Freshman team since 2021.
After missing her senior season of high school due to injury, Taliyah Henderson is ready to make her return to the court. A multi-sport athlete, Henderson proved to be a star on the hardwood and the track at Salpointe Catholic
High School in Vail, Arizona.
The guard also boasts international experience, representing Canada at the FIBA U18 Women's Americup in 2024.
Graduating early from high school to spend this past spring with Carolina, Taissa Queiroz is prepped to make her debut in Carolina Blue. Spending her high school years at Cardinal Newman in the Bay Area, Queiroz has generated plenty of buzz through representing her home country of Brazil.
This past offseason, Queiroz played with Brazil in two exhibitions against WNBA squads in the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. She also joined Brazil at the 2025 GloblJam this past summer in Canada, earning a bronze medal.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Elina Aarnisalo -
- 96 season assists.
- Would be back-to-back seasons with 100+.
• Nyla Harris -
- 30 season steals.
- 2 away from season-best.
- 10 season blocks.
- 3 away from season-best.
• Reniya Kelly -
- 146 career assists.
- 4 away from 150.
• Indya Nivar -
- 933 career points.
- 67 away from 1000.
