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#UNC's Courtney Banghart, Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski after the Heels' season-ending loss to Duke
Mar 28, 2025
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0:00
Coach.
0:14
Okay, as a reminder, no filming and
0:17
we'll start with opening comments from
0:18
coach and then we'll take questions for
0:20
the student athletes.
0:22
Well, I mean, obviously sitting up here
0:24
after a loss is it's disappointing.
0:27
um especially when you hold your third
0:30
straight tournament team um below 50
0:33
points and you don't win the game. I
0:35
don't know how many I'm not not great at
0:38
statistics. I don't I don't know how
0:39
many teams have held that that many
0:41
power five NCA tournament teams below
0:43
50, but it's not really a game you
0:44
should lose if that's the case. Um and
0:47
we just we really didn't shoot the ball
0:50
well enough. We didn't play through
0:51
their physicality well enough. We didn't
0:54
um attack outside legs well enough. We
0:56
didn't play off two. We needed to well
0:58
enough. Um, you know, so it it led to
1:02
what you're seeing here, right? 28% from
1:04
the field, 27% from three, and 50% from
1:07
the free throw line. Uh, and you still
1:10
lose the game by less than 10. It's
1:12
pretty remarkable. So, um, yeah, I think
1:15
it's it's probably better to ask answer
1:17
questions that you all need me to answer
1:19
and use the time wisely that way.
1:22
Okay, we'll start here.
1:28
Uh Sarah Tedwell with the USA Today
1:30
Network. Uh girls, I know obviously
1:31
losses suck. Um but to have gotten to
1:33
this stage, to have gotten to this Sweet
1:35
16, just what are you feeling right now
1:38
besides disappointment? Lexi, if you
1:40
will begin the question.
1:42
Yeah. Um honestly going to need some
1:44
time to process still. Like we were
1:47
talking a couple minutes ago and we were
1:49
like it never was a thought like that
1:51
our season was going to be over today.
1:52
So just the the shock of that and
1:56
knowing that we're not showing up for
1:57
practice tomorrow definitely will take
2:00
some time to
2:01
process. It's
2:04
def you can go to the next one if you
2:06
want. Do you want me to answer it too?
2:09
Okay. It's definitely a special
2:11
experience. Obviously so much work goes
2:13
into building a basketball team and as
2:15
long as the season is I'm proud of how
2:18
far we were able to come. Um, but yeah,
2:21
stings
2:24
here on the aisle to the left, Alyssa,
2:26
you've been in Chapel Hill for five
2:28
years. What has your career meant to
2:30
you?
2:32
My career's meant a lot to me. I think I
2:34
probably put more of my identity in it
2:36
than I should, but that's something I'll
2:38
be able to sort out um in the next
2:40
couple of days, unfortunately, and weeks
2:42
and months and so on and so on. But I'm
2:45
just really grateful for the opportunity
2:47
to play at Carolina, play for coach
2:48
Bangghart for 5 years, seeing her every
2:50
single day nearly all year long. And
2:54
it's just I'm just really grateful for
2:55
the experience and I wish everybody
2:57
could have like such a fulfilling
2:59
experience like I had
3:02
to Ariel Tribune. Uh for both players,
3:06
how did the game shift when Maria went
3:08
down midway through the first half? Uh,
3:11
it seemed like that's when Duke took
3:13
took control.
3:15
Alessa, if you'll start with the answer.
3:18
It's hard for me to say. I feel like I'd
3:20
have to watch it back. But, um, I think
3:23
we're obviously we need Maria in and we
3:25
need her to produce, but when Maria goes
3:27
down, we have our small lineup. Like,
3:29
we've proven to be productive with that
3:31
lineup as well. And so I just think that
3:34
the people on the floor needed to take
3:35
more responsibility, especially myself
3:37
included, on scoring the ball and making
3:39
sure we could continue to get stops.
3:42
Lexi,
3:43
yeah, I think the thing about our team
3:45
is that we win in a lot of different
3:48
ways and we have different people step
3:50
up every single game. So yes, we're more
3:53
comfortable with Maria on the floor. We
3:54
love playing with Maria, but I still
3:56
think we have pieces that can score when
3:58
we have our smaller lineup in two and we
4:00
just didn't do that. We didn't step up
4:01
in ways that we needed to to go ahead
4:04
tonight. Here to your left, Abby helping
4:07
USA today. Alyssa, with this being your
4:10
last game and Lexi, how do you guys feel
4:12
leaving this program in the hands of
4:14
young players like Laney and Blanca? How
4:17
do you feel about how confident do you
4:19
feel in them?
4:23
Lexi, if you'll start the first answer.
4:27
I mean, honestly, this group is
4:30
everything that I could have wanted to
4:33
finish out my career with, and I'm just
4:35
so excited to be all of their biggest
4:37
supporters in years to come. Yeah, I
4:40
think for Alexi and I, we both just hope
4:42
that like our impact um whether it's
4:44
infusing girls with confidence or having
4:47
them learn strategic things from us can
4:49
like transfer down and they can kind of
4:51
pick up the torch and lead it lead the
4:53
program moving forward. So that's all we
4:56
could hope for as exiting seniors.
4:59
Last question in the front. Yeah,
5:01
Michael.com. Alyssa, we just watched
5:03
this from the sideline, but what makes
5:06
them so tough defensively? I mean, you
5:08
guys are obviously also a great
5:10
defensive team, but what just makes it
5:12
so difficult to get your offense going
5:14
against those guys?
5:16
I think um we have a great defense as
5:19
well obviously, but Duke is pretty
5:22
disciplined and they're they're they're
5:24
there on the rotations. They know to
5:26
double. They just are pretty sound
5:28
defensively and so that makes us take
5:30
tougher shots. It alters our looks that
5:32
we're used to getting. Um but that's the
5:34
game of basketball. Like you just
5:36
because one thing doesn't work doesn't
5:37
mean oh okay the play's over and we got
5:40
to go down the other end. But like again
5:42
that's the beauty of it. You have to
5:43
find other ways to score. and I felt
5:44
like we just weren't as connected in
5:46
that aspect today. Thank you, ladies.
5:50
Thank you. Thank you.
6:02
Okay, we'll go to the front right. Sarah
6:05
Tedwell with the USA Today Network. Um,
6:07
like you said in your opening statement,
6:08
it's it's disappointing to lose. Um, but
6:11
you guys got here. you managed to get
6:13
here. Like the girls said, it's it's a
6:14
feat in itself. Um and you've made
6:16
history playing Duke for the first time
6:18
in March Madness. Just what are you
6:20
feeling other than that obvious
6:21
disappointment knowing that this has
6:24
come and gone? Yeah, I mean I there's
6:26
two there's two ways to look at life.
6:28
You can be afraid of failure or you can
6:30
be afraid of regret, right? And um I'm
6:32
just choosing that, you know, I don't I
6:35
never want to regret anything. Um, and
6:38
you know, there were things offensively
6:39
that we just weren't as sharp. I mean,
6:42
obviously when look at Maria, she's plus
6:44
nine. Her going out in this game is a is
6:47
a real bummer. And kudos that she tried
6:48
to come back, but she she couldn't. Um,
6:51
I think one of the things I'm thinking
6:53
is that, you know, as I told the these
6:55
guys in the locker room, it wasn't
6:56
enough, right? As a coach, you have to
6:58
navigate that moment with also the
7:00
legacy of what what has been since June.
7:03
And what has been since June is is that
7:06
I don't think anyone in this room has
7:07
anybody in their life that speaks about
7:09
them as highly as this team speaks about
7:11
their seniors. And over time that will
7:14
become more important. It's not today,
7:16
right? But every time when I meet with
7:18
these players and show them film and
7:19
talk to them about stuff, it's always I
7:20
want to do it for our seniors, you know,
7:23
and there's something special when
7:24
you've impacted people's lives where
7:27
people want to do something special for
7:29
you. Um, and so I I'm feeling gratitude
7:32
for time well spent with that senior
7:35
group. Um, all five of them. Um, but
7:38
yeah, I'm also having to navigate the
7:40
wasn't quite enough. And that's that's
7:41
the hard thing about sitting in this
7:42
chair on at this time.
7:52
Courtney, I want to ask about your
7:55
perspective on Alyssa's career and
7:57
everything she's meant to Carolina.
7:59
Yeah, I mean, man, I'm going to try not
8:02
to get emotional because that kid is,
8:04
remember, she wasn't even chosen by ESPN
8:06
as one of the top 100 players in our
8:08
country. You're kidding, right? Um, but
8:10
I trusted my eyes. Um, and I don't think
8:13
you can replace, there's not a skill set
8:15
in the world that can replace the skill
8:17
set of a relentless p pursuit of
8:20
excellence every day, right? And so that
8:23
kid willed herself to learn how to play
8:25
basketball at an elite level. Um, but
8:27
how she is today is how she was
8:28
yesterday and the day before and the day
8:30
before and the day before. Um, and so
8:33
the fact that she wore Carolina across
8:35
her chest, the fact that she cared about
8:38
the right things and and and the fact
8:41
that she um is proof that that ski that
8:45
relentlessness is a skill. I think we
8:47
all think we'll just make everybody play
8:49
hard. If if it was that easy, everyone
8:51
would do that, right? Alyssa's special
8:53
superpower is that she is has a
8:55
relentless quest for excellence. Um, and
8:58
you know, I think when when when all the
9:00
dust settles, she'll know that this this
9:04
was an impactful she's leaving her
9:05
footprint at a place that's had
9:06
excellence everywhere.
9:12
Hey, Courtial Tribune, can you talk
9:15
about the adjustments you had to make
9:16
with Maria? Now, obviously, you had
9:18
Alyssa at the five a good bit and and it
9:22
was already going to be a physical
9:23
battle inside and it just got tougher.
9:25
Yeah, it sure did. Especially again,
9:27
it's always the minutes, right? And so a
9:29
kid that plays you can lean on for 30
9:31
plus minutes a game. Now you can lean on
9:33
her for nine. I know she played 15, but
9:35
six of those you guys all saw how she
9:36
was able to move. So you just you have
9:38
less minutes. Um you know, so now you're
9:40
asking Alyssa to play 40. You can't even
9:42
get her any rest, right? Um and so and
9:46
not only that, but she's such a she's a
9:47
rim protector. She's an elite rebounder
9:49
and she's your kind of late clock. You
9:51
can get it into her. We didn't have any
9:52
of that. And Duke forces you into late
9:54
clock. So, um, that was I tried to act
9:58
like it was just next man up, but when
9:59
you lose Maria early in the game, you
10:01
know, you're up nine. That's a big loss.
10:06
Mitch North from SP Nation. Um, Cord,
10:08
you talked about, you know, Alyssa's
10:10
consistency and relentlessness and and
10:13
now, you know, going forward, it sort of
10:15
feels like a bit of a page turning for
10:17
your program because she's not going to
10:19
be around. How do you, I guess, keep
10:23
those qualities of her in your program?
10:25
Like, were those qualities contagious?
10:27
And do you think the young group will
10:28
carry those on? You hope the winning is,
10:31
right? You can't really go to a national
10:33
championship from never going to the
10:34
final four, from never going to sweet
10:36
16. So, going to two sweet 16s in four
10:38
years, you know, there's a culture now.
10:39
There's an expectation, right? It lets
10:41
you speak louder, let you speak more
10:42
directly, right, to your team. Um, but
10:45
you know, in college athletics now,
10:46
everything is a turn the page, right? I
10:48
mean, this this particular year has two
10:49
years worth of seniors, so you're not
10:51
going to see it this pretty for a long
10:53
time, right? This is pretty remarkable.
10:55
Um, and so they'll be a wash out for a
10:57
lot of teams of great talent. Um, and
10:59
our job as coaches are to put another
11:02
great product on the floor. Um, it will
11:04
look a little bit different. Um, of
11:06
course, for all teams and ours. Um, but
11:10
I don't know if you can I think what
11:12
Alyssa's leaving is she's broughten her
11:15
team to two straight to two sweet 16s in
11:17
her four in four years. You know that
11:18
winning now is that's a standard, right?
11:21
Um I think that more so than than I wish
11:24
if I could have if I could bottle up her
11:26
relentlessness uh we would be
11:27
undefeated. I mean it's hard to do.
11:31
Yeah. Michael Balpn.com. Coach, if I
11:34
could ask you two things. First, was was
11:36
Maria's injury it looked like an ankle?
11:38
Was that what you I think so. Yeah, I
11:39
chose to ignore it, but yeah. Okay. And
11:43
um it are these these this doesn't seem
11:47
like a fun game to coach in. Uh and I
11:49
don't mean that in a disrespectful way,
11:51
but it's just so hard like when when
11:54
shots aren't going down and um and I'm
11:57
just wondering like not every game's
11:59
going to be like 90 to 87, but is this a
12:03
tough game in some ways to because it
12:05
does feel like such a grind from start
12:06
to finish. Yeah. You know, you
12:08
especially if people are looking at the
12:09
scoreboard and didn't watch the game,
12:10
you're thinking, "Oh gosh." As opposed
12:12
to choosing to recognize these are two
12:14
of the best defenses that have played
12:16
over the last five years. I mean, this
12:17
is and you add familiarity um and
12:19
roster, you know, and system
12:21
familiarity. Um and then you add the
12:23
physicality, right? And so you're trying
12:25
to read how how they're going to allow
12:28
physicality, how you're going to allow
12:29
postplay, how you're going to allow body
12:31
on the drives, right? And you know
12:34
that's that was that was a challenge of
12:36
course as well. So um they're all fun
12:39
honestly Michael they really are. I know
12:41
that sounds really kind of odd. They're
12:43
all fun because um they they offer they
12:46
require us to stretch ourselves in
12:48
different ways right beating having the
12:50
mental energy of beating um West
12:53
Virginia's press and staying in the
12:54
attack versus having to deal with um
12:57
Oklahoma I mean who do we play? Oregon
12:58
State's size and more of a saggy team.
13:01
They're all they all challenge me really
13:02
differently. Um, and our team. So, they
13:04
are all fun. I don't know those that
13:06
really love offense, probably this isn't
13:07
the game that you're you're dvring or
13:10
whatever you call it these days. Um, but
13:11
those that like defense, you should
13:13
watch it again. Far far right. Yeah.
13:16
Jeremiah Holloway with Inside Carolina.
13:18
Courtney, for you, this goes a little
13:19
bit off Bitchel's question about, you
13:21
know, the, you know, next chapter and
13:22
kind of building off of this year. What
13:24
do you think specifically about this
13:26
year kind of worked for you all between,
13:28
you know, maybe the off seasonason or
13:29
throughout the season and and things
13:31
like that? Like what kind of, you know,
13:32
worked for you guys to be able to, I
13:34
guess, kind of hit some of the
13:35
milestones that you guys hit? Uh, good
13:37
returning, experienced players, uh,
13:40
excellent leadership, young people that
13:43
brought a youthful joy and hunger, um,
13:47
and a competitive group that cared about
13:49
out teaming and out toughing, you know,
13:51
most of the time, you know. Um, and so
13:54
they didn't have off Tuesdays, off
13:56
Sundays. They were always on. Um, and
13:58
the way they spoke about themsel about
14:00
each other and the way they committed
14:02
themselves. I mean, culture is a thing.
14:04
It is a thing, right? And it's you hope
14:07
to get it right. And coaches don't
14:08
change dramatically. Their roster
14:10
changes dramatically. So, there is an
14:11
element of luck at times that you're um
14:14
but we're all because we're all kind of
14:15
hunting the same thing. But um this
14:17
particular group had the experience
14:19
pieces um with the youthful talent and
14:21
and energy um and and commitment of the
14:25
younger guys um and then they chose to
14:27
care about the right things. Do we have
14:30
any questions from Zoom?
14:37
Okay, coach. Congratulations on a great
14:38
season. Thank you. You guys are out.
14:40
Sorry. Thank you. Thank you.