By R.L. Bynum
With Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng gone, center Blanca Thomas knows the expectations are rising and a big sophomore leap will be needed if No. 11 North Carolina is going to come close to being as good inside as last season.
Thomas’ offseason was all about preparing for a bigger role, both physically and mentally, as she tries to fill the void left by those two. But Thomas said that they helped her with that growth.
Daily battles in practice last season against Ustby and Gakdeng shaped her growth and pushed her to elevate her game.
“Maria and Alyssa prepared me really well for that,” Thomas said. “Maria was such a physical force down there. So, guarding her every day in practice was exhausting, but it helped me, and it’s been very beneficial for me to translate this year.”
She also credited them for helping her grow mentally.
“They helped me specifically, I would say, with the mental side of it — that switch and knowing, ‘OK, I can’t dwell on mistakes. I need to keep going for my team, for my seniors.’ So mentally, they taught me a lot,” Thomas said.
Thomas is also drawing inspiration from former teammates who have gone on to play professionally.
“They’re such amazing players, so trying to embody all the things that they brought to our team last year will definitely help,” she said. “It’s been nice to have that kind of mentorship.”
With one of the youngest teams in the country, Thomas knows that she will need to provide leadership even though she’s only a sophomore.
“I can still have that voice and help our freshmen and even the people who are older and the same age as me,” Thomas said. “And then also just being that presence on the inside. Losing Maria, we lost a lot of inside presence, so trying to be that for them is going to be really important for me this year.”
Thomas already was a pretty formidable force on the defensive end last season, averaging 2.8 blocks per 40 minutes while playing only 10.9 minutes per game. It was on the offensive end that there were challenges for her, averaging 8.8 points per 40 minutes. If she makes a sophomore leap, that’s where most of the growth will have come from.
Trying to be as productive as Gakdeng and Ustby, who Coach Courtney Banghart says were 1A and 1B on opponents’ scouting reports last season, won’t be easy. It will take hard work from Thomas as well as good play from Louisville transfer forward Nyla Harris and redshirt sophomore Ciera Toomey.
“They’re going to play a little bit differently,” Banghart said. “Blanca has got great size, but she’s more of a face-up presence. She’s so big and so long and all those things. She’s definitely a low-post dominant threat as well. But Maria really wasn’t able to stretch it all the time. And that’s where Blanca is really different.”
Last season, Thomas only attempted one 3-point field goal and missed, and she expects that to change this season.
“I think for me, honestly, consistency was the biggest thing — being efficient every practice so that it can translate into every game,” Thomas said. “And then also being more confident in my three. I shot a lot of 3s in high school, so showing the college world that I can do that too, and then also be that presence inside.”
As UNC prepares for a tough non-conference schedule, Thomas sees the early tests as a chance to prove the Tar Heels belong among the nation’s elite.
“It’ll set the tone for us, and it’ll be really nice to play those hard opponents. We play three top-five ranks,” she said, referring to No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Texas. “Obviously, the ranking means a lot, but we can show what we can bring, too.”
With a growing fan base and rising expectations, Thomas is embracing the moment — and the joy that comes with it.
“This team loves to have fun, which is one of my favorite things,” she said. “We compete. We’re gritty. It’s just really fun to be a part of a team that just wants to win but also wants to have fun at the same time.”
| 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. 2 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. 4 Texas | 8–2 |
| ——————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 82–40 | vs. Boston Univ. | 9–2 |
| 14 | Sunday | L, 76–66, OT | vs. No. 78 Louisville | 9–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 | Wednesday | W, 84–34 | vs. UNCW | 10–3 |
| 21 | Sunday | W, 93–74 | vs. Charleston Southern | 11–3 |
| 29 | Monday | W, 90–38 | at Boston College | 12–3, 1–1 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 1 | Thursday | W, 71–55 | vs. California | 13–3, 2–1 |
| 4 | Sunday | L, 77–71, OT | vs. Stanford | 13–4, 2–2 |
| 11 | Sunday | L, 73–50 | at Notre Dame | 13–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | Thursday | W, 73–62 | vs. Miami | 14–5, 3–3 |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 82–55 | at Florida State | 15–5, 4–3 |
| 22 | Thursday | W, 54–46 | at Georgia Tech | 16–5, 5–3 |
| 25 | Sunday | W, 77–71, OT | vs. Syracuse | 17–5, 6–3 |
| 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 No. 20 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. No. 20 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 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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