Carmichael Comments: Inside Carolina Women’s Basketball

In front of a crowd comprised of some of Carolina's youngest fans – about 1,800 local students on "field trip day" – the 2024-25 season tipped off for the Tar Heels on Monday morning with an 83-53 win over Charleston Southern. And with the season underway, it also means the return of this column, Carmichael Comments.

If you've been a reader of Carmichael Comments in the past, we'll be doing things a bit differently this season. Each Wednesday during the season, we'll take five of the most notable stats, notes, or milestones from the week that was for the Tar Heels, and give them a bit more context and reflection. It's the same insight and observations that you've seen before, but in a more quick-hitter format. Hope you enjoy reading!

Carolina improves to 44-7 all-time in season openers, 47-4 in home openers, and 6-0 in each category under Courtney Banghart.

A record of 1-0 is a great place to be. The Tar Heels won their season opener, and did so on their home court, for the sixth straight time under Courtney Banghart. Each of those six wins have had a "taking care of business" element to them, with Carolina winning by an average score of 91.7-54.0, and each win coming by at least 29 points. College basketball teams begin formal practice about six weeks before the season opener, and are able to partake in team training activities as far back as the early summer, so there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes that leads up to the chance to put it on display in front of a crowd.

"I'm just glad to get underway," Banghart reflected postgame. "I like that we're finally back at it. It takes a bit of a rhythm, that we'll gain over time, but a lot of energy in the gym and glad to be back in Carmichael."

As a program, Carolina has now won seven straight openers dating back to a 2018 win at Elon.

11 Tar Heels scored in Monday's win, the most in a game since 11 scorers against James Madison on Dec. 5, 2021.

12 Carolina players – every single player who was dressed and available – saw the floor against Charleston Southern, and 11 of them scored. That included veterans like Alyssa Ustby or Maria Gakdeng, returning sophomores like Sydney Barker, and four Tar Heels who made their college basketball debuts.

"We know this is by committee when we're playing our best," Banghart said of her team's offensive approach.

What stuck out especially was how the game ebbed and flowed as various lineup combinations were given the opportunity to come together. In the first quarter, Reniya Kelly scored seven of the team's first 15 points. Arizona State transfer Trayanna Crisp was an efficient 4-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-2 at the line en route to an 11-point debut. Lexi Donarski started a bit slow, but had 11 of her 14 points in the second half. Ustby, meanwhile, was a steady 8-for-15 with a team-best 18 points.

Carolina's 23 team assists marked the 15th time in the Banghart era with 20 or more assists, and the most since 24 against Western Carolina on Dec. 15, 2023.

So much of the discussion on the Tar Heels at the season's outset has been centered on the team's offensive fluidity, with Banghart sharing her excitement for how the ball would move at the offensive end of the floor. One game in, and the sixth-year head coach was proven correct. Carolina's 23 assists were distributed by 11 different players, and seven players had multiple assists. Traditional point guards Reniya Kelly, Grace Townsend, and Lanie Grant all had multi-assist games, and Ms. Triple-Double herself Alyssa Ustby led the team with five helpers. That's not a surprise, given Banghart mentioned tweaks in Ustby's game this season would make her even more of a facilitator in Carolina's offense. In all, 23 of 35 field goals (65.7%) were assisted.

"There certainly wasn't a lot of 1v1 out there," Banghart reflected. "A lot of team ball, which made for great looks."

With a team-high eight rebounds, Alyssa Ustby entered the top 10 in Carolina history by reaching 965 for her career.

When Alyssa Ustby announced her return to Carolina for a fifth and final season, the rebounding section of the record book was officially put on notice. The Minnesota native began her season at 957 boards, only three behind 10th-place Jessica Breland on the career list. Unsurprisingly, it took Ustby only one game to jump Breland and pull into 10th herself. Rebounding, as Banghart will tell you, is about positioning and pursuit, two elements of the game that Ustby's natural skills are perfect for.

"The thing about a great player is that you have to remember what you're good at," Banghart explained. "Her relentlessness, her grit, her motor, that's not going to change. She's been great for four years, and we're looking forward to seeing how the fifth year turns out."

Looking ahead, Ustby is 12 rebounds behind LaQuanda Barksdale for ninth. If she averages 9.4 boards per game (after averaging 9.5 a year ago), Ustby could match Bernadette McGlade for the program record. It's certainly worth watching as the year goes along.

Carolina allowed fewer than 60 points for the 63rd time under Courtney Banghart, and is now 59-4 in such games.

Anyone who has watched the Tar Heels play in the Banghart era has seen a commitment to defense as the program's foundation. That was on display again in the opener, as Charleston Southern finished with 53 points on 33% shooting. After the game, Banghart revealed that her team had a defensive goal, and it was in fact met.

"We held them below 55, which is what we wanted to do," she said.

Still, even with a win, there is room for improvement in the coach's eyes. Banghart said her team was "antsy" on the defensive end, leading to some easier looks for Charleston Southern, and a solid showing for the Buccaneers on the offensive glass with 13 offensive rebounds and 13 second chance points. Let's be clear here though: you'd much rather have too much energy than not enough on the defensive end, something Banghart was quick to point out while looking toward game No. 2.

"I still think we can be better there, but it wasn't from a lack of energy," she mentioned.

Up Next

A pair of non-conference games against in-state opponents awaits Carolina in the upcoming week. First, it's a Thursday night visit from UNCW to Carmichael Arena. The Seahawks, who lost their opener at Virginia Tech on Monday night, will play a second straight ACC team to commence their season. The most notable headline from UNCW's visit is the return of Ali Zelaya, a four-year Tar Heel and Carolina graduate who is playing her final season of eligibility in the Port City while pursuing a master's degree. We'll tip at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night in Carmichael, with our Tar Heel Sports Network coverage beginning with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. Catch the call on 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL in the Triangle, or worldwide for free on the Varsity Network app from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app.

Then, the first road game of the season awaits on Tuesday with a visit to North Carolina A&T. Carolina's visit to Greensboro will be the first meeting between the two since 2021, a Tar Heel win at home. Carolina will be A&T's second ACC opponent of the season as well, with a loss at SMU on Monday serving as the Aggies' season opener. The Carolina-A&T game is also a 7:00 p.m. tip, with our Tar Heel Sports Network coverage beginning with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. Catch the call on 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL in the Triangle, or worldwide for free on the Varsity Network app from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app.

That's all for now. Go Heels!

-Matt