CHARLOTTE — Watch UNC coach Courtney Banghart and senior co-captains Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby at Tuesday’s press conference during ACC Tipoff in Charlotte.

Press conference transcript

THE MODERATOR: We’re welcoming the University of North Carolina women’s basketball team to the stage. We have Courtney Banghart, we have Deja Kelly, as well as Alyssa Ustby on stage with us.

We will start with the amazing race that you just made up here. I know you’re a big athlete. That’s just the identity of you and this team. It was funny seeing you rush in, but also the poise that each player has coming here. As far as a team, one of eight teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, we’ve talked from I think now four different coaches have talked about the ACC being the most prominent and dominant conference within this country. When you’re looking at how you guys can build this season, what does that look like for you guys?

COURTNEY BANGHART: Yeah, we give a lot of credit to the ACC as a whole. This is a league where stars come because stars want to play stars. The players in this league are going to challenge these guys and get them better night after night and then the coaches are both competitive and prepared.

As a coach, you’re being sharpened, as well, and the goal is just, I’ve learned — I’ve been in this business a long time, it’s how you do in March and April. We’re doing the groundwork of what we should be doing in October so that we can be where we need to be in March and April.

Q. A few seasons ago I remember having a conversation with you and you’re like, no one really expected us to be a great team. No one expected us to make the noise that we were making. Now three years up the road and it’s like, everyone knows what UNC is going to bring to the table. But you’re adding, with the three returning starters, eight new faces. Is it really eight newcomers to the roster? What does that look like for you this season, the new additions, how you infuse that into your game plan? What can we look forward to?

COURTNEY BANGHART: You know, acquiring talent is certainly one of my main responsibilities, but it’s also theirs. They’ve created a style of play and a culture that people want to be a part of, so we were able to attract three really talented transfers and three really good people, competitors.

I give a lot of credit to the courage to the people to my left. Deja and Alyssa have dreamt big in this program. Their actions have matched their intentions.

We’re purposefully here, and then when you think about the additions of our rookies and our transfers, they were instrumental. These are people people want to play with, and they’ve handled themselves in the right way.

I love our roster. We’re the most competitive team I’ve had since I’ve been at Carolina. We’re the deepest team I’ve had since I’ve been at Carolina. We hope we’ll be the most well-led since I’ve been at Carolina. We’ve got a lot of good leadership qualities who have really grown in that role.

Everyone is excited about their team. I’m going to focus on mine, and I’m sure glad that I’ve got that locker room.

Q. As these players have continued to grow into their years, I know Deja Kelly, wow, she’s done an incredible job on the defensive end. That’s something you’ve worked on is the leadership. Deja, for you, knowing that all the eyes are on you, the nods that you’ve gotten nationally as well as within this conference, what’s the next step for you in your game?

DEJA KELLY: Yeah, I think my biggest thing or my biggest growth step that I’ve been focusing on is my leadership. I think being able to pour that into our younger ones, to our newcomers, I think because I have been in this league so long and I’ve had to go through those growth steps myself because I had to lead myself first.

I think that’s the biggest conversations that me and Coach Banghart have had was making sure I was on top of all of my stuff and making sure I could lead myself before I could lead others. I think that is my next biggest growth step, and something that I’m leaning into that role a lot.

I think I’m starting to do a pretty good job at the start of the season, so I’m looking forward to the start of games.

Q. You’re in a very unique situation. When you look at the grand scope of being a student-athlete and the balance of it all, you’re looking at NIL and being a leader and being an example in your locker room, but also how you can build on that and using your brand. What have you learned about how to balance all that to be an example in your locker room?

DEJA KELLY: Yeah, I think just knowing that I have to keep the main thing the main thing. I know what has gotten me all those opportunities is basketball and school, so I know that can’t really interfere, and knowing that keeping the business side kind of separate but also knowing it all mixes in a way.

But yeah, also making sure that my teammates know that I am still — I’m there for them. I’m working hard, as well, on my part to make sure that I am giving my whole to the team.

I think that’s super important, and I know that anything that’s lacking, I just know it can’t — I really don’t have a choice but to balance it.

But I think I’ve done a pretty good job. Like you said, I don’t remember when I have had an off day, an off time, but I think that’s the beauty of it, because it just shows that hard work is paying off in a way, and I’m really happy to share that with me team, as well.

Q. Alyssa Ustby, one of the most versatile players not just in the ACC, but Coach talks about how you’re a Swiss Army knife and doing so many things well. Did you play four different sports? I have to go down the line of all the things that you have done. But for you and just how you wanted to be different — I do recall you only missing one game I think last —

COURTNEY BANGHART: No. You missed a lot of games last year. The ones where we had the L’s.

Q. Knowing your impact on this team, what do you feel like your role is, and how does that expand?

ALYSSA USTBY: I feel like my role is really whatever the team calls for, and so whatever Coach Banghart asks me to do, what’s needed from my teammates, whether it’s specifically for that game or that season.

Stepping into the roles of just being a competitive worker and inspiring my teammates to do the same, because that’s just something that’s really important to us, and we have a collective understanding that if we all come together, we compete well together, then we’ll go far.

Q. If you’re looking to build, for both of you, what do you think this team can do in this season?

DEJA KELLY: I think we can do a lot I think just with the eight new pieces we have. I think everyone brings their own competitive nature, which I think is huge to have on a really good team because we’re battling every single day, we’re competing against each other, and building off of those strengths and weaknesses of each other.

I think that’s something that will gel us really well, because we all are like-minded and have the same goals. So I think being able to hold each other accountable in those ways and helping each other reach those guys, as well, I think will be huge.

ALYSSA USTBY: In addition, communication is something that’s really important, and all of us have agreed that this year we are going to commit to learning how to communicate better with one another inside the lines and outside the lines, as well, because we realize that’s a really important component for successful teams.

Q. With the eight new faces, I was reading that it takes some time to build the chemistry. Can you explain a little bit about this pickleball tournament?

COURTNEY BANGHART: Yeah, so the last day of workouts we surprised them with a pickleball tournament, so they picked names out of a hat and played. Watching 5’9″ all the way to 6’5″ play pickleball was hilarious. We left some scratches on the court for sure. But there’s long wing spans and super competitive natures.

That was one of the many kind of fun things we’ve done. Wiffle ball tournaments, white water rafters. These guys are doers. They’re livers. They’ve got a lot of layers to them, so we’ve had a blast getting everyone connected.

Q. I saw the white water rafting right here in Charlotte, right?

COURTNEY BANGHART: Yeah, it’s like no joke. We had gone on the New River up in West Virginia a couple years ago and it was just remarkable. I think there was a class 4, maybe there was a part that was class 5. So we came in this arena or this venue and we said, we want to give it to them.

Man, we’re not doing that again. She fell out. Indya fell out twice, Coach fell out. Yeah, we’re better on the basketball court, let’s put it that way.

Q. When you can laugh and show the personality and get to know other people, how that can translate on to the court, talk about what you have seen as far as being a cohesive unit?

DEJA KELLY: Yeah, I think those moments, those small games that we play, must things like that to be able to show each other’s personality I think is huge, because I think that plays just as big of a role as our on-court performance, as well.

Because for us to be able to bond like that and being able to laugh together and go through the fun times together, we know we’re going to have to go through the hard times together, as well, and to know how to pick each other up and lift each other up in those moments.

I think those games and the rafting, I think that all plays a big part because it just gives us a chance to bond and learn about each other and in a different environment.

I think it’ll definitely carry over.

Q. You guys will be tested early. When you’re looking at now the SEC-ACC challenge, having South Carolina as one of those teams that you’ll take the floor against and then also the Jumpman Classic right here, you guys are building a home at this place for the invitational. What do those match-ups, how do they help you early in the season to help you gauge where you are?

COURTNEY BANGHART: Yeah, critical. The game right before South Carolina, if we advance in the tournament at Thanksgiving we’ve got Iowa, and then two games later UConn, and of course we’ve got Kansas State. That’s a neutral site, and the Jumpman here in Charlotte. Neutral site. Oklahoma.

And so a couple things. One, you have a good team, you want to play good teams. It’s really good for our game. The viewership and the media and the country want good teams playing good teams.

We’ve got a good team now, so we want to make sure that we are helping grow the game in the ways that we’re responsible for.

Then also you’ve got the opportunity to get ready for what is the gauntlet of the ACC. We’ve got to be able to be prepared and we’ve got to take some hits in stretches to ensure that we’re tough enough and we’re resilient enough. We’ve just got to find out a little bit more about the margins, because the margins are what separate these top 10 teams from each other.

So we’re going to learn a lot about our margins we think as we prepare for ACC play.

Q. Alyssa, I wanted to go back to you, and when you hear your coach say, we had an opportunity to grow the game, when people are looking to you and young women are watching the game and saying, okay, I want to be there, how does that resound with you? How does that feel knowing you are a difference maker for what this game is?

ALYSSA USTBY: It’s just an incredible opportunity younger girls myself and my teammates, and that just kind of gives you another reason to keep showing up and working hard, because not only each other but we’re doing it for the community and to grow something that’s much bigger than ourselves.

Q. I know that you played all five positions at some point in your career. Are we going to see threes this year?

ALYSSA USTBY: Yeah, definitely expanding out to the three, something I been working really hard on, and I’m excited.

Q. When you saw Alyssa in high school, what did you see that the recruiting rankers nationally didn’t see, and what has she done in the first three seasons that has surprised you?

COURTNEY BANGHART: Yeah, the things I saw when I first saw Alyssa were the relentlessness and the athleticism. If you give me those two things with her size, the rest is history. But the kid is a winner. She’s won in everything she’s ever done.

I remember when we first got her, she wasn’t as highly ranked as she should have been, and then she lead us in minutes her freshman year. People are like, how did you get Alyssa Ustby? Because none of y’all wanted her.

I just saw a winner that was relentless, athletic, and wired in a way that I say here that you want to recruit kids you can lose with, because if you can lose with them, you won’t lose very often. That’s a kid I can walk down any tunnel after a game and know she gave me everything she got. Those are the kids we want in our program.

In terms of what I’ve seen and what I’ve been able to watch in terms of Alyssa is she’s gone from being a great athlete to a great basketball player, and that has been just with work. She can run the floor and she can be versatile. She can also play the game. She can change her pace. She’s extended her range. She can finish with her right and left. She’s got great footwork in the post. She uses the angles defensively.

The kid has used her desire to be great at anything to make her a great basketball player, and that’s been really fun to be part of that process.