The UNC women's basketball program passed its first test of the 2025-2026 season with flying colors.
Behind a full team effort, the Tar Heels cruised to a decisive victory over North Carolina Central on Monday morning at Carmichael Arena.
While Lanie Grant and Blanca Thomas did not play due to injury (along with Reniya Kelly being limited as she returns from an injury herself), 12 different players saw game action for the UNC women's basketball program in the opener. Of those 12, 11 put the ball in the basket, five scored in double-figures, and two recorded double-double performances.
There's plenty to like from what we saw on Monday morning. In her UNC women's basketball debut, Elina Aarnisalo got off to a strong start, finishing with 13 points. Nyla Brooks, the five-star true freshman, led the Tar Heels with 15 points off the bench.
Indya Nivar did vintage Indya Nivar things, scoring 13 points while recording four rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Nyla Harris posted her first official double-double as a Tar Heel while Ciera Toomey scored a career-best 13 points in her double-double effort.
The UNC women's basketball program received some steady contributions from essentially every player who took the floor. Jordan Zubich added eight points while Liza Astakhova (6 points, 3 rebounds) and Taliyah Henderson (5 points, 4 rebounds) showed a glimpse of why the future looks very bright in Chapel Hill.
Game one is officially in the books. While it's a win that feels good to start the 2025-2026 season, the Tar Heels know that there's still plenty of work to be done and that they still have plenty to improve upon. Needless to say, if this group can continue building together, they have the pieces to make a deep NCAA Tournament run come March.
North Carolina returns to action on Thursday when they host Elon to continue non-conference action.