"Tar Heel of the Game" for the UNC women's basketball program's win over Villanova

The UNC women's basketball program cruised to a semifinal victory over Villanova on Sunday, clinching a spot in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game on Monday afternoon.

While the Tar Heels have received contributions from essentially their entire roster thus far this season, our "Tar Heel of the Game" for this one goes to the engine that typically leads the way for North Carolina.

Alyssa Ustby

Alyssa Ustby could've easily been the recipient of the award for the Ball State game, as the fifth-year forward recorded a double-double in the win. However, she was even better in the semi-finals, needing just one half of play to record a double-double.

Ustby made six of her eight shots overall, finishing the game with 14 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Her high intensity and motor were well on display, as she was often fighting for loose balls and making those plays that just don't show up on the stat line.

We've been waiting for Ustby and Lexi Donarski to play at their elite level on the same day, as Sunday was the first occasion we saw it happen this season. Based on their track records, it probably won't be the last time, as the Tar Heels veteran leaders are starting to heat up at the right time.

Now, Ustby hopes to lead the UNC women's basketball team to a Battle 4 Atlantis championship before heading back to Chapel Hill this week.

Tar Heel of the Game Recipients (2024-2025 Season)

Charleston Southern: Trayanna Crisp (1) and Blanca Thomas (1)
UNC Wilmington: Lexi Donarski (1)
North Carolina A&T: Laila Hull (1)
UConn: Indya Nivar (1)
Ball State (Battle 4 Atlantis Opener): Lanie Grant (1)
Villanova (Battle 4 Atlantis Quarterfinals): Alyssa Ustby (1)