Over the last few seasons, Courtney Banghart has had the luxury of bringing Alyssa Ustby (among others) along for the ride to Charlotte for the annual ACC Tipoff Event.
Now, Ustby has exhausted her eligibility and is no longer with the program to serve as one of the representatives. Fortunately, Banghart has two returners to rely upon to fill the void at this year's media day for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Talkin' All Things Tar Heels in the Queen City! pic.twitter.com/iVPBQxjMms
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) September 30, 2025
The program announced that senior Indya Nivar and junior Reniya Kelly will accompany Banghart at next week's ACC Tipoff, which is scheduled for Monday, October 6. Banghart, along with her two key returners, will be available to answer any questions the media may have for them ahead of the 2025-2026 season.
In what will be her final season as a Tar Heel, Nivar is set to take on an even bigger leadership role. A full-time starter a season ago, Nivar is one of the best defensive players in the conference, as her 2.0 steals per game ranked ninth-best among ACC qualifiers. Along with leading the Tar Heels with 68 total steals, Nivar provided a spark on both ends of the floor, averaging 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.
A reigning All-ACC Second Team selection, it wouldn't surprise anyone to see Kelly earn first-team honors during her junior season. She was second on the team in scoring a season ago, as her 11.4 points per game helped pace an offensive attack that featured a variety of weapons.
Courtney Banghart and the UNC women's basketball program has earned the right to be considered among the top teams in the country. They hope to continue building on their recent success this upcoming season, as both Nivar and Kelly are expected to play major roles in that plan to play deep into the month of March.