Indya Nivar shines in paradise, claiming the Cancun Challenge MVP award

The UNC women's basketball program put together a very success Thanksgiving week trip, securing three victories in as many days as part of the Cancun Challenge.

Indya Nivar definitely wasn't taking the trip for a few days of rest and relaxation: the senior had business to take care of on the court.

The Apex, North Carolina native had herself a breakout party, putting together three incredible performances to capture the 2025 Cancun Challenge MVP Award for the Mayan Division.

Nivar started off the tournament on Thanksgiving Day by making UNC women's basketball history. With her 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals, Nivar became just the second player ever in program history to record a triple-double, joining former teammate Alyssa Ustby.

The following day, Nivar didn't have another triple-double outing but was still outstanding, scoring 14 points while adding seven assists, four steals and two rebounds in the Tar Heels 12-point victory over Kansas State.

To close out the tournament, Nivar struggled shooting the basketball early but didn't let it stop her from making a huge impact on the game. Overall, the senior guard scored 11 points while chipping in six rebounds, six assists and six steals, leading the Tar Heels to a third consecutive victory in Cancun.

Overall, here's Indya Nivar's averages from this year's Cancun Challenge:

Points: 12.7
Rebounds: 6.7
Assists: 6.0
Steals: 6.7
FG %: 53.6%
3PT%: 57.1%

Without a doubt, no player in the entire tournament made an all-around impact like Indya Nivar did for the UNC women's basketball program.

Lanie Grant earns All-Tournament Team honors

Along with Nivar, sophomore guard Lanie Grant earned All-Tournament Team Mayan Division honors for the 2025 Cancun Challenge.

After scoring just three points in the tournament opener, Grant kicked it up a notch offensively over the final two games of the event. In the win over Kansas State, Grant connected on five of nine shots from the floor, finishing the game with 15 points, three assists and three steals. She followed it up by scoring a game-high 19 points in the victory over Columbia, adding four rebounds, four assists and a steal to her impressive stat line.