By R.L. Bynum

After many elements of North Carolina’s women’s basketball nonconference schedule trickled out in the last few weeks, it all became official on Tuesday, and it includes matchups against a Tar Heel legend, two Las Vegas games and a chance for another title in a tropical venue.

It’s a tough schedule that includes games against two Final Four teams that finished high in the final AP 2025 Top 25 poll last season: No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Texas. Both lost in the national semifinals — the Bruins (who finished 34–3) to eventual national champion UConn 85–51 and the Longhorns (35–4) to South Carolina 74–57.

After UNC’s exhibition game in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30 against another Final Four team in South Carolina, the Tar Heels open the season at home against N.C. Central on Monday, Nov. 3, in their annual Field Trip Game, likely to start at 11 a.m. The men’s team opens the season that night against Central Arkansas.

Three days later, Carolina legend Charlotte Smith will bring her Elon team to Carmichael Arena for a game on Thursday, Nov. 6.

Coach Courtney Banghart’s team heads west the next week for the inaugural WBCA Challenge at the Michelob ULTRA Arena (the home of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces), meeting UCLA on Nov. 13 and Fairfield on Nov. 15.

Back in the Tar Heel state, UNC makes a quick stop in Greensboro on Nov. 20 to play at N.C. A&T for the second consecutive season before returning to Carmichael to face UNC Greensboro on Nov. 23.

Next, it will be Thanksgiving week in paradise as the Tar Heels play in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. UNC will play three games in three days, Nov. 27–29, meeting Columbia, Kansas State and South Dakota State.

The Tar Heels will seek their second consecutive title on Thanksgiving week after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas last season.

Carolina heads to Texas for the first time in program history, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, facing the Longhorns on Dec. 4 before finishing nonconference play with three consecutive home games: Dec. 7 against Boston University, Dec. 17 against UNCW and Dec. 21 against Charleston Southern.

Tipoff times and TV assignments are still to be released.

Year	No.	Players	Pos.	Height
Freshman	5	Liza Astakhova (LEE-zah uh-STAH-koh-vuh)	W	6–2
Freshman	7	Nyla Brooks	W	6–1
		Brooks brings dazzling skills, confidence to UNC
Freshman	3	Taliyah Henderson	W	6–1
		Long wait, journey for 5-star freshman Henderson after second knee surgery nearly over
Freshman	26	Taissa Queiroz	G	6–1
		Queiroz came to USA from Brazil to chase her dreams
Sophomore	17	Elina Aarnisalo (EH-lee-nah AHR-nee-sah-loh)	G	5–10
		Aarnisalo brings flash, IQ and pro experience to backcourt
Sophomore	0	Lanie Grant	G	5–9
Sophomore	34	Blanca Thomas	C	6–5
Sophomore	1	Jordan Zubich	G	5–11
RS sophomore	21	Ciera Toomey	F	6–4
RS sophomore	4	Laila Hull	W	6–1
Junior	10	Reniya Kelly	PG	5–7
Junior	15	Sydney Barker	PG	5–6
Senior	2	Nyla Harris	F	6–2
		It was hard for Harris to say ‘no’ to UNC again
Senior	24	Indya Nivar	G	5–10

Class of 2025

Player	Rating	ESPN rank	Position	Height	Hometown
Nyla Brooks	Five star	No. 13	Wing	6–2	Alexandria, Va.
Taliyah Henderson	Five star	No. 27	Wing	6–1	Vail, Ariz.
Taissa Queiroz	Four star	No. 77	Guard	6–1	Santa Rosa, Calif.
Liza Astakhova	—	—	Wing	6–1	Moscow, Russia

Date	Day/month	Time	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV/ record
	October
30	Thursday	L, 91–82	No. 3 South Carolina in Atlanta	Exhib.
	November
3	Monday	W, 90–42	vs. N.C. Central	1–0
6	Thursday	W, 71–37	vs. Elon	2–0
			WBCA Challenge Las Vegas
13	Thursday	L, 78–60	vs. No. 4 UCLA	2–1
15	Saturday	W, 82–68	vs. Fairfield	3–1
			———————————
20	Thursday	W, 85–50	at N.C. A&T	4–1
23	Sunday	W, 94–48	vs. UNCG	5–1
			Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico
27	Thursday	W, 83–48	vs. South Dakota St.	6–1
28	Friday	W, 85–73	vs. Kansas State	7–1
29	Saturday	W, 80–63	vs. Columbia	8–1
	December		ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
4	Thursday	W, 79–64	at No. 2 Texas	8–2
			———————————
7	Sunday	W, 82–40	vs. Boston Univ.	9–2
14	Sunday	L, 76–66, OT	vs. No. 16 Louisville	9–3, 0–1 ACC
17	Wednesday	W, 84–34	vs. UNCW	10–3
21	Sunday	Noon	vs. Charleston Southern	ACCN Extra
29	Monday	8 p.m.	at Boston College	ACCN
	January
1	Thursday	Noon	vs. California	ACCN
4	Sunday	1 p.m.	vs. Stanford	ESPN
11	Sunday	1 p.m.	at No. 20 Notre Dame	ESPN
15	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Miami	ACCN Extra
18	Sunday	2 p.m.	at Florida State	The CW
22	Thursday	8 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	ACCN
25	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Syracuse	The CW
	February
2	Monday	6 p.m.	at N.C. State	ESPN2
5	Thursday	7 p.m.	vs. Clemson	ACCN
8	Sunday	2 p.m.	vs. Wake Forest	ACCN
12	Thursday	6 p.m.	vs. SMU	ACCN
15	Sunday	1 p.m.	at Duke	ABC
19	Thursday	6 p.m.	at Virginia Tech	ACCN
22	Sunday	Noon	vs. Pittsburgh	ACCN
26	Thursday	7 p.m.	at Virginia	ACCN Extra
	March
1	Sunday	Noon	vs. Duke	ESPN
			ACC tournament
4–8	Wed.-Sun		Gas South Arena, Duluth, Ga.
			NCAA tournament
20–24	Fri.-Mon.		First, second rounds
27–30	Fri.-Mon.		Regionals Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif.
	April
3, 5	Fri., Sun		Final Four Phoenix