It's championship Monday in The Bahamas as the UNC women's basketball program will take on Indiana in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game.
The Tar Heels are coming off a convincing victory over Villanova and will take on their biggest challenge of the event when they square off against the Hoosiers. Can the UNC women's basketball program continue their strong play and bring home some hardware when they return to Chapel Hill this week?
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 5-1
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Indiana Hoosiers
Overall Record: 4-2
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-1
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Site Record: 2-0
Key Players (with 2024-2025 stats)
North Carolina
Lexi Donarski (Gr. Guard)- 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Indya Nivar (Jr. Guard)- 11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Alyssa Ustby (Gr. Forward)- 9.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Indiana Hoosiers
Yarden Garzon (Jr. Guard)- 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Lilly Meister (Jr. Forward)- 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists
Sydney Parrish (Sr. Guard)- 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists
History
The two programs have only matched up once prior, a contest that occurred on December 1, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Indiana put together a decisive 87-63 victory on their home floor. Mackenzie Holmes led all scorers with 25 points while Sydney Parrish, who will play in the rematch, added 24 of her own points.
Kennedy Todd-Williams led the Tar Heels with 20 points. The lone player still on the roster who will suit up is Alyssa Ustby, who had 8 points to go along with 8 rebounds in the initial matchup.
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
For starters, keeping an eye on Shay Ciezki will be important, as the junior guard is coming off a 34-point outing in the Hoosiers victory over No. 18-ranked Baylor. Ciezki knocked down 9 of 16 shots from the floor, including four of her five three-point field goal attempts, as it should be expected that either Lexi Donarski or Indya Nivar draws the assignment of slowing her down.
The Tar Heels size is going to have to step up to the occasion as well. Indiana's leading scorer, Yarden Garzon, is an absolute presence in the post, as her ability to stretch the floor makes her a matchup issue for any of her team's opponents. While Garzon can beat you from all three levels, Lilly Meister compliments her well by being a strong post presence with her 6-foot-3 frame.
After a stellar defensive outing against Villanova, the UNC women's basketball program has to lock in once again and make like difficult for Indiana's offensive attack.
Something to Watch For
Indiana features a ton of size, but guess what, so does North Carolina.
With Maria Gakdeng likely sidelined still due to injury, the frontcourt will be an area of emphasis in this one. Alyssa Ustby has to avoid foul trouble while the young forwards, such as Ciera Toomey and Blanca Thomas, need to be ready to help the Tar Heels win the advantage in the post, especially rebounding the basketball.
This team also seems to have a different leading scorer (or scorers) by game. In this championship bout, who will step up to the occasion?
Projected Starters
No. 1 Alyssa Ustby (Gr. 6'1)
No. 10 Reniya Kelly (So. 5'7)
No. 20 Lexi Donarski (Gr. 6'0)
No. 24 Indya Nivar (Jr. 5'10)
No. 34 Blanca Thomas (Fr. 6'5)