Four Tar Heels Come Away With WBB ACC Honors

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With the regular season wrapped and North Carolina women's basketball heading to the 2025 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament this week, four Tar Heels have earned a multitude of honors as announced by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Tuesday.

Earning an All-ACC First Team nod for the second time in her career and All-ACC recognition for the fourth season in-a-row, Alyssa Ustby caps off her fifth season at Carolina with the honor. Not only did the Rochester, Minn., native earn first team honors but was named to the All-Defensive team as well.

The guard/forward ranks No. 2 all-time at North Carolina with 1,211 career rebounds and No. 8 with 133 career blocks. Ustby also ranks in the top-20 at UNC with 1,722 points throughout her time in Chapel Hill. This season, Ustby leads Carolina with 9.4 rebounds per outing and ranks No. 1 in the ACC in conference games with 7.64 per game on the defensive end. Boasting nine double-doubles this year, Ustby paces the Tar Heels and has recorded 16 games in double-figure scoring. On the season, she averages 10.7 points per game and is dishing out a Carolina best of 3.0 assists per outing.

Asserting her dominance in the paint, Maria Gakdeng earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team for the second conference honor of the senior's career. Causing problems for opposing teams on the inside, Gakdeng averaged 12.8 points per game in ACC action while shooting 59.9% from the field. Feared off the glass, Gakdeng ranks fourth in ACC play with 3.3 offensive rebounds per outing and 8.1 total per game.

On the season, Gakdeng is leading the Tar Heels from the floor in making 62.5% of her shots. The Lanham, Md., native has posted five 20-point outings including a career-high with 25 points against Virginia and added three double-doubles.

Lighting it up in her second season in Chapel Hill, sophomore Reniya Kelly finds herself on the All-ACC Second Team. Starting in 28 games for the Tar Heels, Kelly made a huge jump in year two with 10.1 points per game while facilitating the UNC offense. Tallying 11 outings in double-figure scoring, Kelly poured on a career-high 23 points in the win over then No. 10 NC State. The only Tar Heel this season to post back-to-back 20-point performances, with 20 against Virginia Tech and 23 against the Wolfpack, Kelly was named the ACC Player of the Week for the first time of her career.

Sharing the ball at a high rate, Kelly averages 2.3 assists per game and dished out six or more assists in three games this season to match her career-high. An aggressive presence on the defensive end of the ball, Kelly snagged a career-high five steals at NC A&T and 1.2 steals per game in ACC play.

Making her mark as one of the youngest players in Division I women's basketball at 17-years-old, Lanie Grant was named to the All-Freshman Team. Kicking off her collegiate career on a high note, Grant appeared in all 31 games for Carolina with two starts. The Midlothian, Va., native, was integral in UNC's comeback win at Louisville with a career-best 19 points against the Cardinals.

Averaging 8.3 points per game in ACC play, Grant tallied 10 games this season in double-figure scoring with seven of those coming against conference foes. Against then No. 10 NC State, Grant grabbed a career-high six rebounds for her second game this season with five or more boards.

The Tar Heels begin their journey at the 2025 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, awaiting the winner of Boston College and Syracuse on Wednesday. Carolina will tip from First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro at 11 a.m. ET, airing on ACC Network.

2024-25 All-ACC Women's Basketball Team
Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, So., G, Notre Dame
Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, So., G, Notre Dame
Rookie of the Year: Toby Fournier, F, Duke
Coach of the Year: Wes Moore, NC State
Sixth Player of the Year: Dani Carnegie, Fr., G, Georgia Tech
Most Improved Player: Zoe Brooks, So., G, NC State

All-ACC First Team
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame - 2257
Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State - 2173
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame - 1949
Aziaha James, NC State - 1902
Makayla Timpson, Florida State - 1729
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame - 1398
Kymora Johnson, Virginia - 1339
Saniya Rivers, NC State - 1316
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina - 1010
Khadija Faye, Pitt - 973
Zoe Brooks, NC State - 968
Kara Dunn, Georgia Tech - 965
Toby Fournier, Duke - 916
Jayda Curry, Louisville - 881
O'Mariah Gordon, Florida State – 878

All-ACC Second Team
Haley Cavinder, Miami - 834
Ioanna Krimili, California - 711
Ashlon Jackson, Duke - 657
Liatu King, Notre Dame - 649
Maria Gakdeng, North Carolina - 623
Tonie Morgan, Georgia Tech - 611
Reniya Kelly, North Carolina - 585
Nunu Agara, Stanford - 550
Tajianna Roberts, Louisville - 456
Nya Robertson, SMU - 427

All-Defensive Team
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame - 484
Makayla Timpson, Florida State - 368
Saniya Rivers, NC State - 226
Jadyn Donovan, Duke - 161
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina - 123
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame - 109

All-Freshman Team
Toby Fournier, Duke - 520
Tajianna Roberts, Louisville - 410
Dani Carnegie, Georgia Tech - 380
Tilda Trygger, NC State - 164
Lanie Grant, North Carolina - 116
Kate Koval, Notre Dame - 103

ACC Most Improved
Zoe Brooks, NC State - 124
Reniya Kelly, North Carolina - 114
Khadija Faye, Pitt - 96

ACC Sixth Player
Dani Carnegie, Georgia Tech - 372
Oluchi Okananwa, Duke - 324
Tess Heal, Stanford - 52

ACC Coach of the Year
Wes Moore, NC State - 306
Niele Ivey, Notre Dame - 184
Charmin Smith, California – 99

Scoreboard Slider

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Maria Gakdeng

Lanie Grant

Reniya Kelly

Alyssa Ustby

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