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#UNC guards Reniya Kelly and Indya Nivar in breakout room interviews at ACC Tipoff
Oct 6, 2025
#UNC guards Reniya Kelly and Indya Nivar in breakout room interviews at ACC Tipoff
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0:00
It's all said and done. What's the plan?
0:02
I want to be a farmer. That's actually
0:03
really like crazy for y'all like to
0:05
hear, but I want to be a farmer. Um, I
0:08
love land. I love fishing. I love having
0:12
my own crops. I want to live off my own
0:13
land. Eventually, I want to get to like
0:15
selling my own products with that being
0:17
eggs. It could be bacon. It could be
0:19
cheese. Whatever it is, like that is I'm
0:22
going to have a farm when I'm done with
0:23
the basketball.
0:24
So, no coaching.
0:26
No coaching.
0:28
Thank you for your time.
0:30
Excellent. Thanks so much.
0:31
Now, your head coach is just over there
0:33
saying that you probably shouldn't have
0:34
been playing toward the end of last
0:35
year, but you played anyway. How hurt
0:38
were you? How are you feeling?
0:40
I mean, I was hurt. I'll tell you that.
0:43
My knee wasn't in the best condition,
0:44
but I would risk anything.
0:47
I would do it again if I had to. You
0:48
know what I mean? And so, the goal was
0:50
to win and I would do anything to win.
0:53
And so I played and we got to sweet 16
0:56
and that was that. So I wasn't really
0:58
worried about my knee honestly at the
1:00
end. Completely honest.
1:01
How you feeling now?
1:02
I'm feeling good. Ready to get back and
1:04
play.
1:05
Clearly when you came back it it wasn't
1:08
the same.
1:09
100%.
1:10
What What could you What What were the
1:11
challenges? Just you just didn't have
1:13
the foot speed, didn't have the
1:14
quickness.
1:15
Yeah. Um honestly my knee was very
1:16
tired. I think I just did did too much
1:19
honestly. But, you know, again, so it
1:23
was just it wasn't enough, you know,
1:25
strength on my knee, honestly. And I did
1:28
rehab. I did things I need to do, but it
1:29
just wasn't enough to keep playing and
1:31
last me a long time through the final
1:33
four or to the national championship.
1:34
So, how long did you sit out after the
1:36
season ended and how long have you been
1:38
100%.
1:41
I don't know.
1:42
I don't know. I can't give you a number
1:43
right now.
1:44
There's some big shoes to fill, of
1:46
course, from last year. here. I'm sorry
1:47
if you've been asked this already, but
1:49
um you know, with filling those big
1:50
shoes, uh who have you seen kind of step
1:52
up and how are you ready to kind of help
1:54
uh fill those big shoes as well?
1:56
Yeah, I mean honestly, the whole team
1:57
has been stepping up quite you can go
1:59
down the line and see how each player
2:01
has been stepped up and trying to fill
2:02
this role that you know we lost some
2:04
good players and people keep missing out
2:05
on Grace Talson. She was a great player
2:08
and she did a lot of great things for
2:09
us. And so it's not the big three, it
2:11
was actually the big four in my opinion
2:13
and they left. And I feel like every
2:14
player you go down the line, it's
2:16
actually stepping up into their role.
2:18
And so I feel like every team does that
2:19
every year. Once a player leaves,
2:21
another player steps in. And so I think
2:22
our team, everyone is stepping up to be
2:25
better and, you know, to fill those
2:27
shoes.
2:28
How do you how do you feel like the team
2:29
will play differently with the influx of
2:31
all the wings and guards that have come
2:34
in? And I mean there's there's a lot of
2:36
depth there.
2:36
Yeah, it is. It is. Um, honestly, a lot
2:39
of spacing, right? I feel like last year
2:41
did get kind of crowded in the paint,
2:43
get crowded in around the arc, but this
2:45
year is going to be a lot of space where
2:46
guards can drive, they can't facilitate,
2:48
they can pass, whatever need to do. And
2:50
so that's going to be the biggest
2:52
difference. A lot of people always
2:53
remember like Alyssa and Maria being at
2:55
the elbow, being at the block, but no,
2:56
it's going to be a lot of guards around
2:58
the perimeter now. And maybe even Nala
3:01
Harris will be in the perimeter at some
3:02
points. You know, you just never know
3:04
how we're going to do it, but it's going
3:06
to be a lot more space this year.
3:08
How how do you see the team fill in the
3:10
void Maria left? Is it a by committee
3:13
with Sierra, Blanca, and Harris? And how
3:16
how's that going to work?
3:17
I mean, you know, once again, they're
3:20
all stepping up. Blanca knows she's
3:22
needed. Sierra knows she's needed. Al
3:23
Harris knows she's needed. So, I don't
3:25
think people are actually worried about
3:27
how we going to fill Maria shoes or how
3:28
we going to fill Elysa shoes. They're
3:29
just like, "No, we're going to play the
3:30
game that we know how to play our own
3:32
way and we're going to step up and play
3:33
the best we can." So, it's not like
3:35
people are trying to play like Viral,
3:37
play like Alyssa. It's no, I'm going to
3:38
play my game and step up and play the
3:40
best I can. So, they're ready.
3:42
What kind of leap is Laney Grant about
3:43
to make this?
3:44
Hugely. I mean, I was proud of her when
3:46
she came. Even if she had a a terrible
3:48
game, I was proud of her cuz I know what
3:50
it you know, it's hard to miss out on
3:53
your senior year of high school. And so,
3:55
she's going to make a great leap. She's
3:57
actually been working really hard in the
3:58
gym every single day. Making sure her
4:00
shot is right, making sure her body
4:01
feels good. So, I'm excited to see her
4:03
grow and, you know, transform our game
4:04
this year. For sure.
4:05
Are you going against her in practice?
4:08
I'm going against everybody in
4:09
everybody.
4:10
Yeah.
4:11
You talked about the sorry, the tough
4:13
non-conference schedule um and what
4:15
you're hoping to learn from that. Is
4:16
there anything specific you're hoping to
4:18
learn about your game or about this team
4:20
in the South Carolina Exhibition?
4:21
I mean, the toughness. you know, we're
4:23
gonna really see if we are tough enough
4:25
to compete at a high level, you know,
4:27
and so I'm really excited to see like if
4:28
we lay down or if we stand up and take
4:30
it in the chin and fight back. And so I
4:32
think that's the challenge. But look,
4:33
everyone is just trying to see if we're
4:35
soft or if we're tough. And so that game
4:38
we're definitely going to see. Can your
4:40
relationship with social media seems
4:42
like
4:43
Oh my gosh. No one knows. I hate social
4:45
media.
4:46
Yeah. Okay.
4:47
I want I want to hear about social
4:48
media. Um, I don't I'm just not a social
4:51
media person, right? And so I don't do
4:53
TikTok. Like you guys would never
4:55
probably see me in Tik Tok unless I'm
4:56
forced to literally do it or someone
4:57
pays me. So I I don't I just I don't
5:00
like social media. I think it takes away
5:02
the fun of the game. I think it's a lot
5:03
of pressure outside noise that comes in
5:05
with social media. I like to keep the
5:07
sport the sport and I feel like the
5:09
sport is very fun when social media
5:11
isn't involved.
5:12
And so yeah, just know I hate social
5:14
media. It's funny to hear it because
5:17
actually I've been asking questions
5:18
about it all day. The opinions are very
5:19
mixed but like there are good things
5:22
about it.
5:23
Obviously, obviously, obviously you can
5:25
get like NIL deals, you can connect with
5:27
different people, you can meet certain
5:28
people, but I think in the basketball
5:31
world it does add a lot more pressure to
5:33
it than what it needs to be, right?
5:35
Yeah.
5:36
Yeah.
5:36
Do you have you when when did you come
5:38
to that conclusion? How did you how did
5:40
you come to that conclusion? I think
5:41
when I was younger, I was out I was
5:44
outdoor kid. So I never was on my iPad
5:46
watching stuff. I was always just doing
5:48
it. And so ever since I was younger,
5:51
like I just never really enjoy social
5:53
media, you know? I don't I don't know.
5:55
It just came off.
5:56
Is it weird to be like a high level
5:59
college athlete in 2025?
6:01
Literally is. I was just talking to my
6:03
teammate Sydney Barker about this. I was
6:04
like, I just hate social media cuz like
6:06
you need to have it so you can reach
6:08
different people and get your name out
6:09
there. But it's like at some point when
6:11
can you just enjoy the sport for what it
6:13
is? And so it is kind of finding that
6:16
balance to like you know get your name
6:18
out there but it also is like being
6:20
yourself.
6:21
So I don't know it is hard to balance
6:22
but it's okay.
6:24
Do you see it like take a toll on
6:26
teammates or have you in the past like I
6:29
don't know just being too involved in it
6:31
or taking comments too seriously?
6:33
Yeah I think I think I think it does
6:35
take a toll on different people. It
6:36
depends on how you handle criticism or
6:38
handle judgment, whatever it is. But,
6:40
you know, some people do read into
6:42
social media comments too much and it
6:43
does get their mind all messed up before
6:45
a game, even after a game. And so,
6:47
social media is dangerous, but it also
6:49
is a a blessing and it's a blessing and
6:50
a curse, you know. So, it's like you
6:52
just got to play your cards right,
6:54
whatever situation it is. But my
6:57
opinion, I hate social media.
6:59
Thank you.
7:00
Yeah, no problem.
7:01
Can I ask more about the farm thing?
7:02
Oh, yeah. When did you when did you want
7:05
when did you realize that that's
7:06
something that you really
7:07
Yeah. So um I fish every time I go back
7:09
to Alabama I fish with my granddad and
7:11
we catch fish and he actually fries
7:13
them. So I always had this love for just
7:16
outdoor nature eating the things that
7:19
you catch or the things that you make.
7:21
And so I think ever since then I just
7:23
been in love with just farming and
7:25
getting everything together and working
7:26
on your own land. Like it's just so
7:28
intriguing to me. Like I'm so excited
7:30
actually.
7:30
So like your dream farm is it like
7:32
crops? and animals.
7:33
It's everything. I want a garden. I want
7:36
crops. I want to have peach trees, apple
7:38
trees. I want to have every sing. I want
7:40
to be able to go outside and grocery
7:41
shop on my farm.
7:42
Have you taken your teammates on any
7:44
fishing trips?
7:45
Actually, yeah. Me and Nala Harris
7:46
actually went and Kayla Mcerson actually
7:48
went fishing like I think like a month
7:51
ago.
7:52
What will it take to cultivate a
7:54
national championship this year?
7:56
Back to the
7:57
I mean everything. Literally everything,
8:01
you know. Um, winning a national
8:03
championship is really hard and you have
8:05
to risk a lot. You have to take a lot of
8:06
sacrifices, but we're willing to do it.
8:09
And, you know, I think because we're so
8:10
young, we're willing to just take the
8:12
leap and do whatever we need to do to
8:13
win that. And so, I'm really excited for
8:14
this team cuz I don't think we'll ever
8:16
be satisfied with just winning a sweet
8:19
16, winning Elite 8. Like, we actually
8:20
are pushing to reach for a national
8:22
championship. You can see in their eyes
8:23
that like they want to reach the highest
8:25
level.
8:26
Do you see yourself being off the ball
8:29
uh any more this year than you were
8:30
last? Tell tell me about how how that
8:32
interacts with
8:33
Yeah, way more way more. Um I think
8:34
because of Alina coming in, she has
8:37
really like she's going to really
8:38
transform my game because I can be able
8:40
to play off ball. She's a great passer,
8:42
great facilitator. And so I'm really
8:43
excited this year to be playing off the
8:45
ball way more than I did last year.
8:47
And why why do you like that so much
8:49
better?
8:49
I mean cuz obviously who wouldn't like
8:51
to shoot the ball, right?
8:52
Right. Okay. So, you know, I'm just
8:54
excited to be able to take breaks, you
8:57
know, run up without having to bounce
9:00
the ball, you know, just to sit down in
9:01
the corner, whatever it is. Like, I'm
9:03
just I'm excited that I can expand my
9:05
games to a different level as a scorer.
9:08
I'm excited about that.
9:09
And are there more actions that you'll
9:12
be able to take advantage of, pick and
9:13
rolls and whatnot with all this?
9:15
I mean, I guess I guess Yeah.
9:18
Yeah. You mentioned Kayla. How valuable
9:21
She obviously had to medically retire in
9:23
the offseason. How valuable has her
9:24
presence been to you guys?
9:26
Oh my god, I love Kayla. Like, she's
9:28
technically my mentor on the team. I
9:29
look at her for so many different
9:30
things. I mean, she's a great leader and
9:32
I actually I look at her as a leader and
9:35
she talks to me about different things,
9:36
how you can lead in this way, lead in
9:38
that way, how you can say these and have
9:39
these conversations. And so I really
9:41
take pride in our relationship cuz I
9:42
know like she's a very valuable person
9:44
on the team and we actually need her cuz
9:46
she's just she's a great coach actually.
9:48
She's going into that coaching role and
9:50
you could just tell that's definitely
9:51
her vibe. Like she needs to be a coach
9:53
cuz she's such a great person.
9:56
She puts everyone in the right spots in
9:58
the right situations. It's great and to
10:01
have them early on I feel like is going
10:03
to help us a lot in the postseason.
10:07
How how is how is the mix in the back
10:10
court going to change with influx of
10:11
guards and wings? Renia was saying that
10:15
she probably will play more off the
10:17
ball. Can you explain how everything's
10:20
looking like it's going to play out?
10:22
Yeah, just very versatile. We're
10:24
definitely going to be really fast in
10:25
transition. Um, everybody's going to be
10:28
able to play different positions.
10:29
Everybody in practice has to know every
10:32
position to be on the court. Um, which I
10:35
feel like is to our advantage. I feel
10:36
like people aren't going to be able to
10:39
uh guard us one way. They're going to
10:40
have to guard us different ways cuz
10:41
people on our team bring different
10:43
aspects to the game.
10:44
And and then and the u tempo that you
10:47
think it'll be different from last
10:49
season. I know both coach and Ray have
10:52
talked about spacing being different.
10:54
Can you expand on that?
10:55
The space is definitely different. We
10:57
just had do very dominant bigs last year
10:59
that kind of u you know they took the
11:01
paint because that's where they were
11:02
best. Um, this year we just have more
11:05
guards, more shooters. It's just a lot
11:07
of gaps and lanes for, you know,
11:09
especially me as a driver to get into
11:11
and create for others and create for
11:12
myself.
11:13
You guys only had one outgoing transfer
11:15
in the board this off season. What is it
11:18
about this program and Chapel Hill that
11:21
keeps people keeps people on on the
11:23
team?
11:24
Yeah, we just have a lot of love for
11:25
each other and want to see each other
11:26
succeed. And this is a place where you
11:29
can develop to get better for the next
11:30
level. I feel like every year I've been
11:32
getting better, whether it's like
11:33
physically and skill set or mentally and
11:36
my mindset about the game and when that
11:39
is the environment you you want to stay
11:41
in.
11:42
You guys were talking about the fan base
11:43
in Carmichael um in there. How valuable
11:46
was it to have those NCAA tournament
11:47
games um in Chapel Hill this past
11:49
spring? Not only to build the fan base,
11:51
but also to give you guys that
11:52
experience of that kind of environment
11:54
to build on for next time.
11:56
Yeah. You know,
11:57
it's the expectation for us to to host
11:59
now. um to have that support behind us
12:02
and to have those games is just, you
12:04
know, bringing the legacy back. It's
12:05
been a while since we um we had hosted
12:08
games at Carmichael and now that's the
12:11
expectation for us. And to have their
12:12
support, you know, we always play better
12:14
at home because they they kind of feed
12:15
us with energy whenever we get low.
12:18
Last season, you kind of shared the
12:19
duties of, oh, here's the best score,
12:22
I'll guard her. You kind of shared that
12:24
a little bit last year. Is that going to
12:25
be your principal job to guard the the
12:30
best uh backcourt score next season,
12:33
this season?
12:33
Oh yeah, I Yeah, definitely to guard
12:36
them. But sometimes it's always team
12:38
defense. It's not just going to be me.
12:39
It's going to be my teammates that help
12:40
me as well. Um, you know, I take that
12:43
battle on first, but you know, sometimes
12:44
I might have to switch off and we have
12:46
players that can also guard the best
12:48
player as well.
12:49
What are your offensive game? What do
12:50
where do you think you've uh gotten
12:53
better maybe in the offseason workouts?
12:56
Yeah, I was very intentional in this
12:57
offseason working on my catch and shoot
12:59
three and finishing around the rim. Feel
13:01
like my touch can get a lot better than
13:02
it was last year. Um and also reading
13:05
the defense, coming off ball screens,
13:07
reading where the defense is helping and
13:08
creating for creating plays for my
13:10
teammates. I
13:11
think there was a social media video I
13:12
saw toward the end of last season where
13:15
you were shooting layups. Could you talk
13:17
about that?
13:18
Um because you know
13:21
it it was a it was a thing at times last
13:24
season.
13:24
Oh yeah. Okay. I know what you're
13:25
talking about. I was like what are you
13:26
talking about? Yeah. Yeah. Being in the
13:27
gym and yeah just repping my touch. It's
13:29
just the touch around the rim that you
13:31
know when I drive in I'm very aggressive
13:33
player and sometimes the rest are not
13:35
always going to call foul. So working on
13:36
my touch with the layup and yeah that
13:39
was just a funny post knowing that I
13:40
need to I need to stay in the gym every
13:42
day to work on that because that's
13:43
something I get to do a lot and often in
13:45
the game.
13:47
Kayla was obviously had to medically
13:49
retire in the offse, but she's still
13:51
around the team. She has been around the
13:53
team since she's been injured. How
13:54
valuable has her presence been for you
13:56
guys?
13:56
Yeah, definitely an inspiration for me.
13:58
Uh, knowing that she can't she doesn't
14:00
have the ability to be on the court, but
14:01
I do is very inspiring because um I'm
14:05
I'm I get to play like I have the
14:07
ability for my legs to work and to play
14:10
basketball. So, I definitely play for
14:11
her. And then her leadership is just
14:12
vital for our team. She definitely
14:13
leaves leads with her v her voice and
14:16
encourages us to be better and to push
14:18
us to be great.
14:19
One last question.
14:20
Reiah called Selia Henderson kind of her
14:23
sleeper. Can you can you see what you've
14:24
seen from Amy Tia so far and like how
14:26
she's kind of acclimated to to
14:29
Yeah, her athleticism is a big thing for
14:31
her. Um that left hand, no one can
14:33
really stop in practice. And then just
14:35
her ability to be open to advice and
14:38
criticism from her teammates, me and Ria
14:41
as leaders, and then also coaches. She's
14:43
very, she's like a sponge. She's willing
14:45
to soak up all the corrections and even
14:47
like we also encourage her as well. And
14:49
she's just very hardworking.
14:51
Does she guard the post ever? I was
14:53
talking about how she like is a good
14:54
kind of post defender. Have you kind of
14:56
seen that in practice? Yeah, just her
14:57
hustle and um she's always playing hard
15:01
and when she gets stuck on a post, she
15:03
doesn't make it easy for them, which is
15:04
making our post better, but also we're
15:06
going to need that um when we play these
15:08
big teams early on in the season.
15:11
Can I get a quick you being a senior, do
15:14
you feel like you need you you'll take a
15:15
more of a leadership role on this team
15:17
that maybe Alyssa had last year?
15:20
Yeah, definitely a more leadership role.
15:21
I feel like I always led by example, but
15:23
this year I feel like it's going to be
15:24
more vocal. um trying to pull my
15:26
teammates along to um you know set that
15:30
standard for them to be excellent. Um I
15:33
have to kind of feed them with hunger
15:34
because some of them wasn't weren't
15:35
there when we were in the sweet sweet 16
15:38
last year when we lost and you know I
15:40
feel like they're already feeling that
15:41
hunger that me and Ria have to go past
15:44
that point this year.
15:45
Thank you. No problem.
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