It doesn’t get any better than this — a heated, in-state, ranked rivalry matchup. The No. 12-ranked Tar Heels host No. 10 NC State in a clash between two top dogs in the ACC.
North Carolina looks to defend Carmichael Arena during this historic, heavy-weight bought. A Tar Heel victory would have the Carolina faithful rocking and give UNC annual bragging rights over the Wolfpack.
The Tar Heels are a national powerhouse, having won four in a row and nine of their last 10. But the red-hot Wolfpack are rolling, currently on a nine-game winning streak.
The Carolina-State game is always a huge headline on its own, but there’s also an incredibly important event during the game, making the day all the more special. This game will celebrate Play4Kay, a national event, which supports the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund honors Sandra Kay Yow, a legendary women’s college basketball coach, who passed away from breast cancer in 2009, after a long, incredibly hard-fought, 22-year battle with the disease.
Coach Yow spent 34 of her 38 years as a head coach at NC State. During her storied career, she’s recorded over 700 wins — a feat only six women’s Division I college basketball head coaches have achieved. She was also on the coaching staff for the USA women’s basketball gold medal in the 1988 olympics. Coach Yow’s exceptional career was rightfully rewarded with a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2002. Coach Yow’s legacy in the sport of women’s basketball and — more importantly — in cancer research, awareness and fundraising, will live on forever. The Play4Kay motto is: “United in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women.”
The Play4Kay event in Chapel Hill means both teams, and plenty of fans in Carmichael Arena, will be decked out in pink, all supporting the same amazing cause. Even in a heated rivalry, it’s beautiful when both sides can put their differences aside, come together and support something so much bigger than basketball.
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 22-4
Conference Record: 10-3
Home Record: 11-3
Away Record: 7-0
Neutral Site Record: 4-1
NC State Wolfpack
Overall record: 20-4
Conference Record: 12-1
Home Record: 14-0
Away Record: 5-2
Neutral Site Record: 1-2
Key Players
North Carolina
Alyssa Ustby (Gr. Guard/Forward) – 11.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists
Maria Gakdeng (Sr. Forward/Center) – 10.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Lexi Donarski (Gr. Guard) – 10.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
NC State
Aziaha James (Sr. Guard) – 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Zoe Brooks (So. Guard) – 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Saniya Rivers (Sr. Guard) – 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Can Reniya Kelly keep her hot streak going?
The sophomore standout has been a huge reason for the Tar Heels’ success this season. Kelly has been fairly consistent all season long, but recently, she’s exploded for a big-time scoring stretch. Kelly averages a solid 9.6 points per game, but in her last five games, she’s averaging just under 16 points. Wherever this ‘new’ Kelly came from, UNC needs her to keep her foot on the gas. When she’s scoring like this, it really opens up the Tar Heels’ offense. Kelly draws a lot of attention from defenders, and in turn, she helps take pressure off of the star-studded, senior trio of Ustby, Gakdeng and Donarski. Everything is easier when Kelly is on fire.
Something to Watch for
In the all-time series between North Carolina and NC State, UNC leads 33-23. However, more recently, NC State has had Carolina’s number. The Wolfpack has won 13 of the last 20 matchups and six of the last 10. While those factors seem to favor NC State, context matters. The Tar Heels have won four of their last five home matchups versus the Wolfpack, and they’re 18-8 at home in the overall series. The major takeaway is: home court advantage matters a whole lot in this rivalry. Let’s hope the Tar Heels can defend Carmichael Arena once again.
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)