Ahead of the UNC women's basketball program's top 25 clash with rival Duke, some notable injury news surfaced for the Tar Heels.
Alyssa Ustby, who has essentially missed the past three games (this including the NC State game) due to injury, will once again be unavailable on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Ustby isn't the only starter who will be sidelined, as Reniya Kelly was also not in uniform during the teams pregame warmups.
Reniya Kelly isn't in uniform for #UNC during warmups.
— R.L. Bynum (@rl-bynum.bsky.social on Bluesky) (@RL_Bynum) February 27, 2025
This is rather disappointing news, especially given how well Kelly has played as of late. The sophomore guard has scored in double-figures in seven of her last eight games and was recently named the ACC Player of the Week for her efforts on the court.
While it's unfortunate that Kelly won't be available on Thursday night, the hope is that it's not a long-term issue, especially given how close we are to the end of the regular season.
The hope is that it is a precautionary move to keep Kelly sidelined. With the ACC Tournament beginning next week, the UNC women's basketball program certainly aims to be as close to full strength as possible, as having Kelly and Ustby back on the court will provide a huge boost when the time comes.
Until then, the current group will continue that "next woman up" mentality, as we should expect to see plenty of Grace Townsend and Trayanna Crisp (among others) who will see more action in Kelly's absence.