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#UNC forward Ciera Toomey, Coach Courtney Banghart and guard Indya Nivar after win over Elon
Nov 7, 2025
#UNC forward Ciera Toomey, Coach Courtney Banghart and guard Indya Nivar after win over Elon
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0:00
from coach then open up to questions
0:01
coach whenever you're ready.
0:02
Um I think it will help to watch that
0:04
back. I don't want to say too many
0:06
things. I we just really didn't play
0:07
very well quite honestly especially I
0:10
think that top group um the bench came
0:13
in and really helped us the young guys
0:15
which was great. Obviously India um she
0:18
just continues to be the senior version
0:20
of India that we need. Um that she's
0:23
someone we can really start to trust uh
0:24
that this is who she is and this is how
0:26
she's going to compete and lead. Um and
0:29
Sierra, what another game with 12
0:31
rebounds. That's what I'm talking about.
0:33
Um you know, come a long way. Um so
0:36
yeah, we we'll this is all part of the
0:38
journey. I know we got a young group. We
0:39
got to have to we're going have to play
0:40
better, you know, for sure. Uh from the
0:42
start.
0:44
Questions.
0:45
Coach, I know you said you got to watch
0:47
it back and be able to learn a lot of
0:48
things, but just kind of, you know,
0:50
immediate takeaways from standing on the
0:51
sidelines. What the three-point shooting
0:54
was that more you guys more than a
0:56
little bit of both? I think a little bit
0:58
of both. I think obviously, you know,
0:59
some DMs you don't shoot well, and today
1:00
was that day for us. Um, but I think
1:02
when we watch it back, we're not going
1:04
to like the the the pace of our passing.
1:06
We're not going to like the, you know,
1:08
the like their their dribble up threes
1:10
or advanced threes or not a lot of
1:12
through the paint threes. So, I think
1:13
it's a little bit of both. I thought the
1:15
it's hard to tell guys not to take open
1:17
shots. Um, but you know, the
1:21
then if you're not making them, it would
1:23
be great if you would find a different
1:24
shot. and we we didn't do that very
1:26
well.
1:26
Well, in the first half, was it just
1:28
lack of ball movement? Was that one of
1:30
the contributing factors? It seemed like
1:32
he had a lot of late shot clock shots as
1:34
well.
1:34
Yeah. I mean, they they were pretty
1:36
scrappy and they switched at every at
1:37
the point of every action. Um and so,
1:41
you know, I thought I don't think our
1:42
post play as well as they need to and so
1:44
they were kind of in La La Land at times
1:46
and so it was hard for us to have the
1:47
depth that we needed. Um, so I think it
1:51
was a little bit of both
1:53
and probably better having Nyla Brooks
1:56
walking minutes on the court rather than
1:57
Biles on the bike probably.
2:00
Um, well, I don't know. Does Nyla Brooks
2:02
ride a bike? I don't know.
2:03
She was on the stationary.
2:05
Oh, was she?
2:06
I think Harris.
2:08
Oh, Harris.
2:08
Harris. Yeah.
2:09
Oh, yeah. I mean, I think when she's not
2:11
using it, somebody else is. Um, you
2:13
know, these are these are are good
2:14
athletes that, you know, in these type
2:16
of games when you're spreading the
2:17
minutes out, they're not playing as many
2:18
minutes as they're used to, so they try
2:19
to stay warm.
2:20
Did you feel like most of the threepoint
2:22
looks you got were were ultimately
2:24
things that you wanted them wanted
2:26
people to keep shooting, I guess, in a
2:27
sense?
2:28
Um, you know, yeah. I mean, I we're a
2:31
better three-point shooting team in that
2:32
in my opinion, but um, you know, I think
2:36
then we would run ourselves off the line
2:37
and and not play off two and force bad
2:40
layups. I mean, I just we were just kind
2:42
of like we took a real liberty. I think
2:44
we looked across the way and thought,
2:45
well, we'll probably win this one, so
2:47
it'll be a little bit less sharp. Um,
2:49
but I do think other other times, you
2:51
know, I like both of India's threes. She
2:53
made one or two. I think I like both of
2:54
them, you know. I think Tia, that's a
2:56
shot she needs to be able to make from
2:58
the corner. Like, so not not all of them
2:59
were bad. I just thought some of them
3:01
just So, we also didn't shoot well. The
3:02
combination of really not shooting well.
3:04
I mean, we're up here fast because
3:05
there's not wasn't a lot to say after
3:06
this one. We we have to play better and
3:08
we have to shoot better. What was the
3:09
key defensively? You guys had 19 steals
3:11
in the game.
3:13
Um, I think it's as much about us um
3:16
kind of I think we were pissed off quite
3:18
honestly. I think we were frustrated and
3:19
pissed off with how we were playing
3:20
offense and so we just kind of uh they
3:24
turned a trigger there. Um, we were
3:25
better in the second half with our
3:27
coverages. I also think we had an
3:28
athletic advantage and we took advantage
3:30
of it.
3:31
Coach, any just update on WA Thomas?
3:33
obviously dressed out again today that
3:35
you can provide for us.
3:37
You know, I don't I mean, I know she's
3:39
she's working her way back and you know,
3:40
she's doing everything she can to to be
3:42
back and um if it was anything long
3:44
term, we would put something out so that
3:46
people can stop asking, but you know, we
3:48
also it's we know it's a long season and
3:51
we have to be really mindful of these
3:52
kids and and and how they can sustain
3:54
the ACC season and um so if I thought
3:56
she was going to be out for a while, I
3:58
would say something, but you know, she's
4:00
working her way back. for both of the
4:02
players. How were y'all kind of after
4:04
that first time out, there's a little
4:05
bit of a a shift in that defensive
4:07
momentum? How were y'all sort of able to
4:09
kind of shift that and kind of amp up
4:11
that aggressiveness a little bit?
4:12
Um, I would say that we had to we we
4:14
knew we were kind of off today on the
4:16
offensive end, so we rely heavy on our
4:18
defense to kind of get us going in
4:19
transition. Um, yeah, we work in
4:22
practice all the time on our defense. So
4:24
just relying on that pressuring creating
4:27
turnovers so that we can have easy ones
4:29
on the offensive end, see some go in.
4:32
We we knew we had to look inward. I mean
4:34
it was kind of it was our own issue
4:36
communication uh making the right
4:38
slides. So we knew that we were going to
4:40
have to be better if we wanted to
4:42
obviously perform the way that we wanted
4:43
to.
4:44
And in terms of steals, what do y'all
4:46
look for in those? I know like you
4:48
mentioned 19 steals tonight. What do
4:49
y'all kind of look for? And what were
4:50
you seeing from Elon's offense that you
4:52
were kind of able to exploit?
4:54
Um, for me at least, um, attacking those
4:57
lazy passes, being in the passing
4:59
passing lanes, and just always being
5:01
ready. I feel like defense, you just
5:03
always have to be on your toes, always
5:04
have to react to what the offensive
5:06
offense is doing, and I feel like I got
5:08
my team going on that. I try to
5:10
encourage them to do the same.
5:11
And and your your overall game today, I
5:13
think I think your defense led to I
5:15
think you had six layups.
5:17
Yeah. and and you you miss I think you
5:19
missed your career high in steals by
5:21
one. Just your overall game it seems
5:24
like you're contributing in so many
5:25
ways. What what did you like about your
5:27
game?
5:28
Yeah, I know I can contribute to a lot
5:29
of things on the court, rebounding,
5:31
steals, all that. Um but it's going to
5:34
be different game to game to what our
5:36
team needs that night. So I'm just
5:38
willing to do whatever we need, always
5:40
staying aggressive. Um and yeah, leading
5:42
in that way. Sierra, I know that um you
5:45
know, coach was just talking a little
5:47
bit earlier about the veteran leadership
5:49
of you know, India. We saw that
5:50
obviously with the game tonight. Um as
5:52
somebody that was obviously, you know,
5:54
competing on the court with her, what
5:55
did that look like? Was it um you know,
5:57
just the the play kind of igniting or
5:59
maybe some things that we couldn't see
6:01
like things that she was saying in the
6:02
huddle um you know, and locker in the
6:04
halftime, things like that. Yeah, I mean
6:06
I think she's done a great job of making
6:07
a big jump vocally um in practice and
6:10
games like you said in those huddles and
6:12
she also does a great job of leading by
6:13
example. I mean in the steels category.
6:15
She's obviously very athletic and quick.
6:17
Um but she also plays with her hands
6:19
active and everything and that makes us
6:20
want to do that as well and also get
6:22
those steals. So she just made a big
6:23
jump in her leadership from year to
6:25
year. It's been really fun to watch.
6:26
Thanks.
6:27
Sierra, how are you um kind of adjusting
6:30
to I guess sort of a new role not only
6:33
like as a starter but as somebody who's,
6:36
you know, it's your job to to go get
6:38
double digits bouncing game and that
6:40
sort of thing.
6:41
Yeah. I mean, like you said, it's very
6:43
different this year. Um, and this year
6:45
it's more about reliability than
6:46
availability. That's been a big thing
6:48
we've talked about and I kind of knew
6:50
going into this season that I needed to
6:51
make that jump. Like there really was no
6:53
option if I wanted my role to be bigger.
6:55
Um, so I think just really in the
6:57
offseason worked on banging in the post
6:59
now. Like I I really haven't been a post
7:01
in my life before. So I knew I needed to
7:03
get a lot of reps at that. Um, and so
7:05
it's been fun to see that translation
7:06
onto the court. And as far as
7:08
rebounding, that I think that's
7:09
something that's coming back. Um,
7:11
obviously in high school everyone's
7:12
smaller, but here everyone's stronger,
7:14
taller. Um, and I think it's about
7:15
timing. So that's been something I've
7:16
been working on a lot.
7:17
Have you been uh I don't know, like has
7:20
there been an emphasis in the weight
7:21
room with Andrew like just getting
7:22
stronger?
7:23
Yeah, definitely. I mean, this offseason
7:25
I think I made a huge jump strengthwise.
7:27
Um, and I think that's playing a huge
7:28
role in that. Just from your
7:30
perspective, um, you know, I think we
7:32
last game talked with, um, coach about
7:34
this a little bit, kind of new, you
7:36
know, skill sets with the, um, players,
7:38
you know, down in the post and how that
7:40
works. How are you working together with
7:42
just down there? Can you kind of explain
7:44
like from your perspective, what's your
7:46
role, what's all
7:47
Yeah, I think we each have a good amount
7:49
of versatility, which kind of makes it
7:51
fun. Like one of us can be in, one of us
7:52
can be out and vice versa. Um, but I
7:55
think sometimes we like we need to
7:57
strengthen that like communication and
7:59
just like mentally knowing who's going
8:00
to be where. Um, and I think that'll be
8:02
fun to work on. And also it's just like
8:04
about communication. I think in the play
8:06
sometimes we'll get caught up on who's a
8:07
four, who's a five and we just need to
8:08
clean that up.
8:09
What are the challenges with Blanca out
8:12
and when Harris was on the bench for
8:14
extended periods today for you inside?
8:18
Um, I think it's just
8:20
there's obviously more pressure to post
8:22
and and I have to I have to be the five.
8:24
I have to be the one posting. Um, and I
8:26
think I need to make that mental switch
8:27
where it's like I that that is my job
8:29
that I always should be finding my
8:31
player in transition um on the play just
8:34
making sure to find a body.
8:35
Was there frustration in the first half
8:37
when you guys really couldn't get it
8:39
inside very often?
8:40
Um, I don't know about frustration. I
8:42
think I just need to watch the film and
8:43
make sure I'm hunting those post-ups
8:45
better.
8:47
Coach question, you kind of um I think
8:49
we hit on it in the preseason. We were
8:51
talking about um the NC Central game at
8:53
that point that you spoke about um just
8:54
the importance of scheduling that game
8:56
for you all. Obviously, you got Elon,
8:59
another instate competitor. Next home
9:01
game is UNCCG. How much of that is
9:03
something that you're pushing for, hey,
9:06
I want to play these um instate
9:08
opponents. And if so, if that's
9:11
something you're vocal about, why why is
9:12
that important to you? You know, I think
9:14
that we have an opportunity to allow our
9:16
our our um our university system schools
9:20
to come play in Carmichael. It's a
9:21
special place to play, right? And so, if
9:23
we're going to play, you know, Liberty
9:25
or UNCCG, it'd be great to let Liberty
9:27
play here. You know, she's And then
9:29
obviously whenever we can have Charlotte
9:30
Smith, we want to play her every year
9:32
here. You know, this is this is her
9:33
home. Um but yeah, I think for the we
9:36
want to you want to make your schedule
9:37
such that it fits your team, which is
9:40
why we have challenged ourselves. Um and
9:43
then we've we've given ourselves
9:44
obviously we're heading out next to play
9:46
um you know a final four team and one of
9:48
the top major teams in the country and
9:50
then we come back and we can play an
9:51
instate team again middle of the week.
9:53
Um, so a lot goes into it, but yeah, the
9:55
more we can allow for our university
9:57
system schools to play here. Um, you
10:00
know, we can't do that for everybody
10:01
because there's just not enough
10:02
scheduling room for that. Um, but when
10:04
we can find the room, we want to make
10:06
the room.
10:07
You guys took advantage of some big
10:08
scoring runs in the third, eight run, 10
10:10
run. How important is it to get that
10:11
breed room, really see what you want
10:13
from your team?
10:14
Yeah, I mean, our defense obviously
10:15
triggered a lot of that, which was good.
10:17
And I, you know, part of it's hard, too.
10:19
You're getting so much in transition
10:20
these first two games that you're not
10:21
sitting in your offense at all. you
10:22
know, you're not sitting in the rhythm
10:24
of it. And so I am asking them to sit in
10:26
the rhythm of offense with one every
10:28
nine possessions being a half court
10:29
possession, right? And so I think part
10:31
of that is the mental discipline that it
10:33
takes to be able to then settle in. Um,
10:36
you know, we got a lot of young guys and
10:37
I think when even Sierra sometimes even
10:39
though she's older, she's still a young
10:41
guy on the court. They like something
10:42
we've practiced a hundred times, they
10:44
just like forget it and you're like,
10:46
"What just happened? We we we just knew
10:48
that yesterday, right? We're still
10:50
having a few too many of those moments."
10:51
But I think when the possessions become
10:53
a bit more valuable, you'll have a
10:54
little bit more fluidity, I hope,
10:55
because there's not they're not
10:57
interrupted by so much of the
10:58
transition. You
10:58
think that fast pace could have affected
11:00
some of the set shooting?
11:02
No, I think that's helps us, you know,
11:03
because you're usually playing out of a
11:04
closeout. Um, so, you know, I think when
11:07
we watch back the first half, there'll
11:08
be things on both sides that were just
11:10
blah. I would say you're either like
11:12
locked in, like if you think about
11:13
India's game, you know, she wasn't
11:15
perfect, but she was locked in
11:17
defensively. So, she did a really good
11:18
job on offense, too. right? If you're if
11:21
you're sort of it's kind of like life,
11:22
like if you're locked in, things are
11:24
going to go your way. If you're like
11:26
moody or inconsistent, then things
11:28
sometimes go your way, right? Um so we
11:31
just need to keep helping this team
11:32
understand the importance of really
11:34
focusing on what they're doing um and
11:36
coming prepared for that in that moment.
11:38
Um and then good things will happen.
11:40
We're still kind of working through
11:41
that.
11:42
What was your message at halftime and
11:43
what was the general mood?
11:45
I mean the general mood for this group
11:47
is I give them a lot of credit. you're
11:49
they understand that it's the second
11:50
game of a long season. They're they're
11:51
just dying to keep learning. So I mood
11:54
is pretty much the same whether you're
11:55
winning or losing I think. Um but I
11:57
don't remember what I said at halftime.
11:59
It's usually pretty tactical. It's we
12:00
show film, we talk through the things we
12:02
need to do. I mean it's usually pretty
12:04
tactical. I don't remember exactly but
12:06
probably had something to do with ball
12:07
screen defense. It probably had
12:08
something to do with um you know with um
12:12
how we wanted to play versus now they're
12:13
in switching or they're in ice and based
12:16
on ice versus switching what you're
12:17
doing offensively. So some of the
12:18
tactical things.
12:20
Coach, what would you say your takeaways
12:21
are this week going into next week with
12:23
UCLA?
12:24
We're two games in. I mean that's what
12:25
that's what I'm taking away. So there's
12:27
more younger guys that have played
12:28
longer now and so there's more guys I
12:29
trust. There's um you know where your
12:31
holes are. You know where your um and
12:33
they've just they've seen each other on
12:35
the game floor too. Um, all this is
12:36
really valuable experience. Um, we know
12:38
the opponents will continue to get
12:40
stronger and stronger. We know that, um,
12:42
every team is going to get better.
12:43
Charlotte's team's going to get better.
12:44
My team's going to get better. Every
12:46
team we play is going to get better. Um,
12:48
so we know that there's still a lot to
12:50
be said, but um, it's just there's a
12:54
there's an experience that comes from
12:55
playing basketball games that you can't
12:56
get any other way than playing
12:57
basketball games. So, we're two weeks in
12:59
now.
13:00
Quick question for Andy. And again, two
13:02
games in. Um, but seems like you guys
13:04
have a lot more folks that can, you
13:06
know, handle the ball for you, not as
13:07
much just relying on, you know, Roniah
13:09
for, um, extended stretches. How does
13:11
that maybe free up something in your
13:14
game or change what you can do kind of
13:17
on the floor with that flexibility?
13:18
Um, I would say allows me to run the
13:20
floor in transition. Um, having so many
13:22
ball handlers, they can bring it bring
13:24
it up um, and kick it up in transition.
13:26
feel like I've been getting a lot of
13:28
opportunities against um unset defense
13:30
which I feel like that's where I thrive.
13:32
Um other than that, a lot of people can
13:34
start the offense. We don't have to have
13:36
just Ria start it. I can start it, you
13:38
can start it, Laney can start it. So it
13:39
just gives us a lot of flexibility in
13:41
that.
13:43
Courtney, um if I could ask you just to
13:46
look way ahead for a second, you know
13:48
that this year you you kind of have this
13:50
build up to the UCLA game, right? Like
13:52
you have, you know, two instate mid
13:53
major opponents right away. Next year
13:56
you're going to play in Paris against
13:59
Oklahoma and then you're going to play
14:01
in Charlotte against South Carolina and
14:02
those are probably going to be your
14:04
first two games of the season based on
14:06
where those games had been played. Was
14:08
it was there like a comfortability about
14:11
I think we're ready to jump into these,
14:13
you know, big games right away or was it
14:14
more about
14:15
opportunity?
14:16
Yeah, just putting your team on those
14:17
platforms.
14:18
Yeah, I think the opportunity presented
14:20
itself and we scrimmaged Tennessee. We
14:22
sc we obviously exhibition South
14:24
Carolina. We always want to play really
14:25
good teams. Not a lot of really good
14:26
teams want to play really good teams
14:28
early. So, there's only so many options,
14:30
right? And so, both became opportunities
14:32
and both the answer was yes, as soon as
14:33
I as soon as we could. Um, and there's
14:35
other good teams on the schedule as
14:36
well. I mean, obviously, even this year,
14:38
we're going down to Cancun and playing
14:39
three. Um, but there's other good uh we
14:41
have other good uh people next year as
14:43
well outside of those first two
14:45
that you're getting those invites as a
14:47
sign where this thing is going.
14:50
Yeah, good point. We feel really
14:51
grateful. I felt like sometimes my first
14:53
couple years here, I'd be like, "This is
14:54
happening. Why didn't anyone call us?"
14:56
Like, "How do you get invited to those
14:58
things?" You know, um, and then getting
15:01
to go and to the Hall of Fame Classic
15:03
two years ago and play Yukon and now
15:04
obviously getting an opportunity.
15:06
Anytime there's one of these events,
15:07
we've had to say no to some because
15:09
you're already invited to one, right?
15:10
And they're happening at three days
15:12
apart. You know, we're invited in one
15:14
that's two days after the ACC challenge
15:15
next year. It's like during exams, I'd
15:17
have to, you know, um, so yeah, it's
15:20
awesome to be invited. I give these guys
15:21
all the credit that they've put us on on
15:23
that stage.
15:24
Really quick on that. I mean, it's
15:25
competition, but it's also an
15:26
opportunity for visibility. Obviously,
15:28
we talked about this. I know
15:30
right now like basketball like to big
15:33
picture, but like with like viewership
15:34
kind of at the level, right? Football,
15:37
men's basketball, women's basketball
15:38
isn't a part of I know that's kind of
15:40
ongoing discussion,
15:42
you know, based on some of the numbers
15:43
that you guys are showing. Is part of
15:45
that, you know, you have this deep game
15:47
right on the AC.
15:48
Yeah. I mean, is is that kind of part of
15:50
the calculus?
15:50
For sure. Leadership on TV.
15:52
100%. I mean, we were the number one um
15:54
team on TV last year in the country and
15:56
this year it's number two behind Duke,
15:58
right? So, you know, this is a team
16:00
that's watched. We have eyeballs on it.
16:01
That's important to brand value. You
16:02
know, we feel like we're providing value
16:04
to our brand. Um and yeah, any chance we
16:06
get to to play a good team, we think
16:08
there's a good chance it'll go on TV.
16:11
Great. Any other questions?
16:13
Perfect. Thanks, everyone. Thanks guys.
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