While the UNC women's basketball program came away with a hard-fought victory over No. 10-ranked NC State on Sunday afternoon, but there is some uncertainty with the injury status of star forward Alyssa Ustby.
The fifth-year graduate student was limited to just over two minutes of action. She was subbed out of the game and was being looked at by the medical staff behind the bench, ultimately making her way toward the locker room.
While news circulated that Ustby would not return to the game, she would not return to the bench area either.
Shortly after the game, the News Observer reported that it's a left knee injury for Ustby, as an MRI will be done to assess the damage.
UNC’s Alyssa Ustby sustained a left knee injury during Sunday’s game against N.C. State game at Carmichael Arena.
— Shelby Swanson (@shelbymswanson) February 16, 2025
She is about to get an MRI to assess the damage, sources told The N&O.
More updates to come.https://t.co/gjwFY0TpTa
The rest of the Tar Heels stepped up in her absence, pulling off a huge victory in front of the home crowd.
Ustby leads the UNC women's basketball program in scoring, rebounding and assists while ranking second on the team in steals and blocks. Needless to say, her absence was felt on Sunday afternoon, especially in the rebounding department.
While we wait for more news to surface, the hope is that the injury isn't a severe one. Ustby means so much to this team (and the program as a whole), as a serious injury would be a massive blow for this group, one that is positioned well at the moment to host NCAA Tournament games in Chapel Hill.
The UNC women's basketball program has a few days before they hit the road to take on Syracuse on Thursday night. Until then (or at least until we receive an update) we'll all be holding our breath.