Before we ring in the new year, the UNC women's basketball program has some business to take care of.
Conference play gets going in full swing starting Sunday afternoon as North Carolina makes a trip to Coral Gables to take on the 11-1 Miami Hurricanes. This will be a very good test for the Tar Heels prior to them returning home to host current No. 3-ranked Notre Dame followed by a rivalry clash with No. 14-ranked Duke.
Playing for the first time since December 21, the Tar Heels were playing extremely good basketball prior to the break. After suffering a loss in their conference opener against Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels bounced back with two strong victories against Florida and Norfolk State.
After having some time to rest, is this group ready for the gauntlet of games that is ahead of them in ACC play?
2024-2025 Season
No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 12-2
Conference Record: 0-1
Home Record: 7-1
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 4-1
Miami Hurricanes
Overall Record: 11-1
Conference Record: 1-0
Home Record: 7-1
Away Record: 2-0
Neutral Site Record: 2-0
Key Players (with 2024-2025 stats)
North Carolina
Alyssa Ustby (Gr. Forward)- 10.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Maria Gakdeng (Sr. Forward)- 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
Lexi Donarski (Gr. Guard)- 9.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Indya Nivar (Jr. Guard)- 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Miami
Haley Cavinder (Gr. Guard)- 18.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Cameron Williams (Gr. Forward)- 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists
Jasmyne Roberts (Sr. Guard)- 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Miami goes as Haley Cavinder goes.
Sure, you probably heard of the Cavinder twins due to their social media stardom, but they made a name for themselves from their journey as Division I athletes.
It will be vitally important for the Tar Heels to lock down Cavinder, who is the team's leading scorer and rebounder.
How the Tar Heels plan to slow her down will be interesting to see. Don't be surprised if Lexi Donarski draws the assignment early in this game, as Reniya Kelly (if she's able to play) would also likely have some opportunities to guard her when Miami controls possession.
If the Tar Heels can continue to play with the same strong defensive mindset they've carried essentially all season up to this point, they'll definitely have a chance to return home with a victory.
Something to Watch For
Reniya Kelly was forced to miss the Tar Heels final non-conference game against Norfolk State due to a "lower body injury."
The sophomore guard has been playing impressive basketball up to this point in the season, as she's a player that the Tar Heels definitely don't want to be without for a significant amount of time.
If she can't play, expect Grace Townsend to fill the void in the starting lineup. Isn't it nice to have so much depth to work with?
Projected Starters
No. 1 Alyssa Ustby (Gr. 6'1)
No. 5 Maria Gakdeng (Sr. 6'3)
No. 10 Reniya Kelly (So. 5'7)
No. 20 Lexi Donarski (Gr. 6'0)
No. 24 Indya Nivar (Jr. 5'10)