Up next in 10
#UNC postgame press conference with Coach Courtney Banghart, Indya Nivar and Alyssa Ustby
Mar 25, 2025
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0:15
all right we've got North Carolina here
0:17
we'll start with a statement from head
0:19
coach Courtney bangheart
0:24
man I just am overfilled with pride for
0:28
this group um if you think about what
0:31
Carmichael looked like tonight and how
0:33
many people have wrapped their arms
0:35
around this team and willed us to
0:36
wherever we need to be um you know
0:39
Carmichael is a is a great place to host
0:41
our kids earned it and and they showed
0:42
up for us I mean that was one of the
0:44
better environments that I think
0:46
anyone's ever played in or or for my
0:48
case coached in so it's not a night
0:51
that's a night I will remember for a
0:52
long time how many people just have wrap
0:54
their arms around these guys and they
0:56
deserve it um I'll be honest it's a
0:59
really good team as you all know there's
1:00
no bad teams in March unfortunately but
1:03
um I was tired of hearing about their
1:06
defense I was tired of hearing about
1:08
their defense and not because it's not
1:10
one of the best defenses the in the
1:11
country but why was no one talking about
1:13
our
1:14
defense right these guys can defend and
1:17
they've done it all year long and we
1:19
knew exactly how we were going to defend
1:20
them and I know those of you who have
1:22
followed us know that's no surprise how
1:24
we defended them tonight so I think us
1:27
hearing about their defense allowed us
1:28
to sort of say okay we're going to show
1:30
and we're going to prove it um these two
1:33
sitting next to me I mean grateful they
1:36
chose Carolina and how they've
1:37
represented us
1:39
Alyssa thank you thank you for how
1:41
you've handled your career um how you've
1:44
worn Carolina on your chest and who
1:45
you've brought along with you um I know
1:48
people are going to be talking about
1:49
that being your legacy game um and you
1:51
deserve everything you felt tonight so
1:54
it's a joy to coach you um you've made
1:56
me better you've allowed me to get
1:58
better players here as well um and you
2:01
doing things the right way show that
2:02
that's enough always so thanks for
2:04
choosing
2:06
Carolina we'll take questions for our
2:09
student athletes Alysa uspy and India
2:12
Nar yeah uh Jeremiah Holloway with
2:15
inside Carolina uh India this one's for
2:16
you you guys had that run at the end of
2:18
the third quarter you kind of closed it
2:19
out with the you had the sequence with
2:21
you blocked the shot ran the court and
2:23
then you got the layup to uh end the
2:24
quarter just take me through that
2:26
sequence a little bit like what do you
2:27
kind of remember about what you were
2:28
seeing in that play and then and also
2:30
how much did that third quarter run
2:32
spark you guys for the rest of the game
2:34
oh yeah so I think our preparation
2:37
prepared us for that moment um we knew
2:38
they were going to fight back um so we
2:41
just know we had a match their toughness
2:44
um that end of the third quarter we were
2:46
just staying with our principles we stay
2:47
disciplined and I was put in a great
2:50
position to get that block and then Lexi
2:51
passed it up for me for the layup but no
2:54
I think as a team we were really focused
2:56
this game and we really wanted it for
2:58
our seniors because we didn't get it
2:59
done on senior night so we wanted to end
3:02
tonight with a win for
3:04
them Debbie strowman Chapel burrow
3:06
congratulations on the great win Alyssa
3:09
your determination is amazing every game
3:12
but tonight I saw it in all the players
3:14
so if you all could both speak to what
3:16
you all said as leaders and captains to
3:19
be able to get the team so focused
3:21
tonight yeah I think inie kind of talked
3:24
about it a little bit right there um
3:27
losing on senior night is tough and not
3:29
knowing if we would for sure be able to
3:31
secure a hosting spot that's what's been
3:33
kind of driving us um since that senior
3:35
night and we've just had a lot of fire
3:38
like we are really excited we love
3:40
playing with each other and we want to
3:41
keep playing we want to keep the season
3:42
going and so there's not anything that's
3:44
going to stop us we're going to keep
3:45
being determined and locking into our
3:47
game plan and making sure that we can
3:48
come out with these wins
3:50
Indy yeah um I think this group means a
3:54
lot to all of us like our connectedness
3:56
is is it's a lot on on and off the court
3:59
I feel like our chemistry is really
4:00
great and we just wanted to fight to
4:02
play again because we love each other
4:04
and we wanted to get another opportunity
4:06
to play another game in the back lindsy
4:10
Gibbs with power plays India North
4:12
Carolina girl Duke waiting in the next
4:15
round in North Carolina State already
4:18
making their way through as well um
4:21
seeing where Women's Basketball is in
4:23
this state and being such an integral
4:25
part of that how does that feel and how
4:27
excited are you for that sweet 16 game
4:30
oh yeah the triangle is a hoop State
4:32
like North Carolina is a hoop State and
4:34
I think it just shows with all three
4:35
schools making it to this next round but
4:38
um no yeah it's really exciting to be in
4:40
my hometown you know a lot of people get
4:42
to come to my games which I didn't have
4:43
my freshman year um but yeah having that
4:47
support I think has really helped me
4:48
along my journey
4:51
here down here to the left James more to
4:53
fa Observer um Alyssa can you kind of
4:56
comment back on what coach bang Hart
4:58
said about your legacy here at uh
5:00
Carolina and also Indian can you kind of
5:03
talk about how what Alyssa has done for
5:05
you and for the team as a whole just
5:07
kind of to be a leader for this team
5:10
yeah um just coming my decision to come
5:12
to Carolina I felt like coach bang Hart
5:14
stuck your neck out for me because I
5:17
wasn't in the ESPN top 100 and I was
5:20
bringing our class rank down and she
5:22
trusted me and I knew that that would
5:24
take us a long way and I would I would
5:26
do so much for this program and I'd run
5:28
through a brick wall which I hope I've
5:30
shown over my career here for 5 years um
5:33
and I'm just super grateful for her for
5:35
having that trust in me and continuing
5:36
to invest in me challenge me to get
5:38
better um and then just continuing to
5:40
recruit great kids I'm so glad that
5:42
India came back to UNC and we have so
5:45
many girls in our team that have made
5:46
the experience so enjoyable and they
5:48
continue to fill me with joy and this
5:50
last this season has been my most
5:52
enjoyable season because of the people
5:54
that are here on this team India your
5:57
thoughts on Alisa oh yeah I can I can go
5:59
on a whole rant about Alissa but she
6:01
embodies the Carolina culture she sets
6:03
our standard and she demands the best
6:05
out of everybody around her she makes
6:07
everybody around her better and she will
6:09
be missed like I'm going to miss her so
6:10
much because even on my down days Alyssa
6:13
picks us up because she never has a bad
6:15
day which is surprising but yeah that's
6:17
just her she's a dog she always works
6:19
hard and it's just an inspiration to
6:21
everybody on the
6:23
scene Michael uh Michael code wchl
6:27
Chapel bar.com Alyssa you're fresh year
6:30
here there were no fans in the stands um
6:33
your last game here you heard what your
6:35
head coach said about the environment
6:37
just what did it mean to you just on
6:39
your personal journey to see the arena
6:42
loud Rowdy pretty much all night really
6:45
supporting you guys uh toward this win
6:47
it is such such a special feeling and
6:51
again like you said just to see the
6:52
growth over the years I think that's
6:54
just a testament to what coach bangheart
6:55
is building here and I'm just so glad
6:57
that I was able to be a part of it and
6:59
to give everything I could to it to
7:01
leave it off better than we found it and
7:02
we've been doing a great job so far but
7:05
I think the community that is here to
7:07
support us is committed to the players
7:10
that are on our team they love our team
7:12
so much because we have built a
7:13
relationship with them and we continue
7:15
to thank our fans and make that
7:17
connection and so it feels like a family
7:19
environment and I bet it's a really
7:20
tough place to play when teams come in
7:22
here and try to get the smoke with us
7:25
because like we have an incredible fan
7:27
base and our players are really fun a
7:29
cheer
7:30
for Mitch Mitch north of MB Nation um
7:33
Melissa you know saw you jump up on the
7:35
scores table um you know when the
7:37
players all walk off of 42 you're the
7:40
last one sort of waving to the fans and
7:42
stuff can you just kind of walk me
7:44
through the thoughts and emotions of not
7:46
only you know the excitement of jumping
7:48
on the table but then walking off the
7:50
last time as a player yeah I mean I've
7:53
always wanted to jump on a table on a
7:55
scores table before and I was like this
7:58
is just set up to be the perfect moment
8:00
and I have to go for it took a little
8:02
bit of Courage because I'm like should I
8:03
do it and I asked my assistant coach
8:05
Coach Joe I was like should I do it and
8:07
she's like without a doubt there's no
8:08
question and so that was so much fun I
8:11
loved it again that was uh like a like a
8:15
reaction or like a a chance for me to
8:18
like hype up the fans and kind of
8:20
celebrate them too because they've been
8:22
a part of my journey for so long and
8:23
have trusted me as a player to um
8:25
develop over my Years cuz I didn't come
8:27
in as a like a star athlete and or a
8:29
star player and so they've just trusted
8:32
me along this journey and then walking
8:34
off the court and just giving one last
8:36
goodbye taking a good look around
8:37
because I know that like that's a moment
8:40
that I'm going to cherish for so long
8:41
and I am really sad that that was our
8:43
last my last game in Carmichael but like
8:46
Overjoyed at what's ahead last one
8:50
Oro Oriel bid and with Toro Tribune
8:52
India their leading score was held to
8:54
single digits for the first time this
8:56
season season low what did you and Lexi
8:59
and Rah do to hold her
9:03
down all year we focused on our defense
9:06
and we knew our defense was one of the
9:07
best in the country and that's because
9:09
we have everybody on our team takes
9:11
accountability to stop people on their
9:13
on the other team stop them from like
9:15
their favorite moves and stuff and it
9:17
just it wasn't a one person job at all I
9:19
think we all B into being in the gaps
9:21
and helping one another and not having
9:23
anybody on an island because it was
9:25
going to take everybody to defend their
9:27
really good guards
9:30
thank you ladies congratulations good J
9:34
y'all can take your name cards if you
9:50
want and questions for Coach bangard
9:52
Mitch yeah Mitch North MP Nation um
9:55
coach you know I know sometimes like
9:57
when the brackets come out you know you
9:59
want to just focused on the one game
10:00
ahead but it's also human nature to just
10:02
sort of hey this might happen um now now
10:06
it's here um you're going to play Duke
10:07
in the sweet 16 um what what are the
10:10
emotions like kind of going into that
10:12
and setting up such a Monumental matchup
10:14
on a Monumental stage yeah and you know
10:17
how fun if we weren't because I think
10:19
these three North Carolina schools could
10:20
go even further right and so now of
10:22
course one won't won't advance um you
10:25
know as I told our guys in the locker
10:27
room just now is that these moments are
10:29
so hard they're hard to get to I mean I
10:32
remember I remember all the hard times
10:34
and I'm still living them right but like
10:36
so I hate it sounds like coach speak but
10:40
I told them in the locker room we're
10:41
going to enjoy this one CU I just know
10:43
how I'm wired and like tomorrow morning
10:45
it'll be like I right back in my in my
10:48
zone um so super cool for this area
10:51
super cool for our state um again a a
10:54
disappointment that someone's got to
10:56
someone's got to lose that game cu the
10:57
ACC will have one less team advance um
11:00
but I'll have a lot more thoughts on
11:01
that as we get closer to the game
11:02
tonight I'm just you know two sweet 16s
11:05
in four years and this team making it
11:07
this way and hosting in front of their
11:09
own home crowd and people showed up for
11:11
them both nights I mean I've got to if I
11:14
don't take that in I'm I'm not going to
11:16
last long in this business down to the
11:19
right good job coach thank you want to
11:22
talk about the strategy with the point
11:23
guards your development of three point
11:26
guards Grant Townson and Kelly to take
11:29
West Virginia so could you speak to your
11:31
trust and develop development in them
11:34
yeah absolutely I think it's the one
11:35
position you really can't play
11:36
basketball without right um and no
11:39
offense to any of the other positions
11:40
but the person who can handle the ball
11:42
while also running tempo for a team is
11:44
critical um and so knowing that we had
11:47
Rah and I've trusted her from the very
11:49
beginning I always trust my recruiting
11:50
like just like Alyssa said I didn't need
11:52
ESPN to tell me that she was that she
11:54
was good enough or wasn't good enough I
11:56
watched her with my own two eyes right
11:58
and so r you might remember she started
12:00
here as a freshman I trusted her right
12:03
um and then Grace when she went in the
12:05
portal I was the first coach to call her
12:07
and you could say all the things that
12:08
you know some people might say oh she's
12:10
too short or she never played power five
12:12
again trust your eyes that's a kid I
12:14
knew could help us um and she plays the
12:16
game so different than Ria right and so
12:18
I I don't want her to try to be Ria I
12:20
wanted her to be her best self and so
12:21
she's a Tempo Creator um and I thought
12:24
she's really throughout the season
12:26
settled into that and then Laney you can
12:28
see how special she's going to be and
12:29
and needs continue to to have time to
12:31
marinate what she's how she's playing
12:33
throughout the the games but um she
12:35
gives us a ton of Versatility there and
12:36
she'll she'll play the one even
12:38
different more differently than the
12:39
other two um but I like all the options
12:41
there and we'll continue to develop
12:43
them uh K maker with the Del Tar Hill
12:46
awesome moment at the end of that game
12:48
when you guys were coming off the court
12:49
and all the practice boys were lined up
12:52
and you you come in there and you're
12:53
like in the MOs pit in the middle of
12:55
them and you invite them into the locker
12:56
room what do they mean to this team and
12:58
also how important they in preparing
13:00
this team for the press that you guys
13:01
faced I mean everything I mean they come
13:03
at 9:00 a.m. in the morning on Saturdays
13:06
they I told them I was bummed out the
13:07
game might be during the middle of the
13:08
day and they were like well we'll just
13:09
miss class we're not missing it these
13:11
are like their sisters you know and
13:12
they're like our brothers and um they've
13:15
been as much honestly as much of my
13:17
journey as my own team has because
13:20
they're with me all the time um and I
13:22
somehow got on to the fellows group chat
13:25
and I'm telling you they are with this
13:26
team whether we're away or home and and
13:29
I can yell at them if they're not do
13:31
what I'm asking them to do they they
13:33
watch film to know how they're going to
13:34
have to play these guys were pressing
13:36
for the last two days like everywhere on
13:38
the court and they just did it and then
13:40
sometimes I go to the next thing and
13:41
they don't even get water and we're like
13:42
you're fine keep going um and so I mean
13:45
everyone has Scout guys but I'd put mine
13:47
up against any in the
13:49
country down here to the left James Mor
13:52
the fa Observer coach you uh you guys
13:54
filed out two post players uh almost a
13:57
guard uh JJ quinley can you kind of talk
13:59
about um the approach in in your
14:02
toughness and how you you know approach
14:05
the yeah the post and help them you know
14:09
kind of get out of that situation yeah
14:11
Maria does a really good job of that on
14:12
her own she Drew many fouls she Drew
14:14
five fouls and then we actually decided
14:17
late in the third there middle of the
14:18
third there to put Alyssa at the five um
14:21
because they were um not as mobile given
14:24
their foul trouble and so you probably
14:26
saw we run a bunch of isos on different
14:27
spots on the floor um so that she could
14:29
attack hips um and even in that L that
14:32
late inbound we ran the same inbound all
14:33
three times and all three times I just
14:35
said attack a hip attack a hip um and so
14:38
you know when Alyssa can defensively
14:39
play the five it's a real Advantage for
14:41
us on the offensive end um so um again
14:44
we just needed to attack hips you can't
14:46
play a press team I don't want to break
14:47
their press and then break their defense
14:49
right and so uh we wanted to be
14:51
aggressive all night and that's
14:52
different than how we had to play
14:53
against Oregon
14:54
State back Lindsay gives up power plays
14:57
coach there was a moment fairly early in
15:00
the third quart fourth quarter where
15:02
Alyssa got a block ran back for a fast
15:04
break they called a timeout and you
15:07
showed a little more emotion than you
15:08
usually do on the sidelines there was a
15:10
stomp there was a yell what was going
15:12
through your mind at that point did you
15:14
feel like you had it yeah when when my
15:16
guys are aggressive they were really
15:18
hard to beat and obviously with the time
15:19
and score and how well we were defending
15:21
as the league was extended I just just
15:24
didn't think they were all of a sudden
15:25
going to score a ton of points on us
15:26
right um and how much we love these guys
15:29
I just I wanted it so bad for them right
15:31
and I wanted it so bad for the community
15:33
that wanted us to host and helped us get
15:34
there um and so you know I think that
15:39
was real that feeling was real I was
15:41
just so joyed for them um and watching
15:45
how they came together starting in June
15:47
and all of them have their own Journeys
15:49
and we're right there with them it was
15:50
just so rewarding and so you know I do I
15:52
try to keep focused on what needs to
15:54
happen next but in that moment I was
15:56
just Overjoyed for him
16:00
R congratulations thank you two quick
16:03
questions one you look like you were
16:05
shivering was it a a massive water
16:08
dumping that you did cold water too I I
16:10
asked it's interesting because on the
16:11
way to shoot around this morning um
16:13
someone handed me a water and it was
16:15
from an ice tub and I was like do you
16:16
think the population prefers room
16:18
temperature water or I or or uh cold
16:21
temperature and so we had a big debate
16:22
about it and I'm on record that I think
16:24
people would prefer room temperature
16:25
water well that's not what got bored on
16:27
me um it was it was was marinating all
16:29
day so I'm freezing okay and and then
16:32
and then the last 11 minutes they had
16:34
one field goal that was that the best
16:36
defensive stretch considering the
16:38
competition that you've had all season
16:40
and how did you do it yeah uh I thought
16:42
we defended uh Tania Latson really well
16:45
in the ACC tournament um as well so it's
16:47
hard to pick in from the two but we just
16:50
we knew that we needed to stop her
16:52
initial attack chest to the ball and
16:53
then we knew she can snake you back and
16:55
so your Gap is actually sometimes the
16:57
one that's as goes away from you you got
16:59
to follow her um so there were some
17:01
tactical things that our guys just
17:03
totally we said no Islands no Islands no
17:05
Islands um and our guys were really
17:07
Shifty and we we really tried to clog up
17:09
we wanted to be high at the point of all
17:10
screens I mean we really wanted her to
17:12
play in a crowd in all night like we did
17:15
like we did Latson and our guys have
17:16
done a good job of that both times we've
17:18
asked Michael hey there Courtney uh
17:21
Michael Co wchl Chapa bro.com you
17:24
coached against a mark Kellogg coach
17:25
team in 2022 with Stephen F Austin um
17:28
out in Tucson was there anything
17:30
tactically or strategically that you
17:31
took from that game uh to prepare for
17:34
this one no just that he's a really good
17:36
coach and he has really good teams he
17:38
actually ran more of a five out at SFA
17:40
they still pressed a lot um but he had
17:42
that International kid that was a bear
17:43
to guard um but more so because she was
17:46
a stretch shooter and could could
17:47
stretch you out um this team's totally
17:49
different because they've got some of
17:51
the more Dynamic guards that we've seen
17:53
thankfully the ACC has prepared us for
17:55
that but totally different game plans in
17:56
those ways um but you know to go to a
17:59
sweet 16 I mean I was watching games all
18:01
day and on the and it's just it's just
18:02
hard there's so many good teams so not a
18:05
lot of takeaways um well defended
18:08
tonight by the team that never got
18:09
talked about about how good our defense
18:11
was MIT north of MB Nation um you know
18:15
at a year ago today I was in a press
18:16
conference with you after a really tough
18:18
game after a really tough finish to a
18:20
season um I was just kind of wondering
18:22
like what you make of sort of the
18:23
journey in the past year especially of
18:25
the players who got through that adverse
18:27
situation um battle through it and now
18:30
you're here and you're hosting and now
18:31
you're going to the Sweet 16 um just you
18:34
know there a lot of players here still
18:36
here that were on the court that day um
18:39
and just what you make of kind of their
18:41
perseverance through all that that I
18:43
mean well said perseverance you know you
18:45
when I got with Alyssa after the season
18:47
I said here's the deal you have to add
18:49
another layer to your game and I'm here
18:50
for you right but you have you have
18:52
earned the right to make the decisions
18:54
that are right for you don't worry about
18:55
me you know um and she right away was
18:58
like I want you to help me keep getting
19:00
better um I said but I also I want to
19:01
make sure that you trust us that we can
19:03
we can host in the NCA tournament we can
19:05
do that and she was like that's why I'm
19:06
coming back right um and yeah India's
19:09
Journey you know who has a much bigger
19:11
role this year Maria had made major
19:13
strides Ria made major strides it just
19:15
it validates the work right because
19:18
people don't see the 8 a.m. in this gym
19:20
I mean I feel like I live in this gym
19:23
right they don't see the the 8 to 9 9 to
19:25
10 where you're just working on their
19:27
own skill set and sometimes you're just
19:30
talking to him about like hey where are
19:32
you in this moment how are you in this
19:34
moment right um and then of course you
19:36
come back in the afternoon and have your
19:37
team practice and so it's just so
19:40
rewarding when their Journey turns out
19:42
that they as I told them you deserve it
19:44
it doesn't mean that you're going to get
19:45
it right you got to go earn it and they
19:48
were able to earn it in a 40-minute game
19:49
it all came down to that last one in the
19:52
middle Lindy Gibs with power plays was
19:55
uh you've wanted to host for so long how
19:58
did it compare I mean it was even better
20:00
thank you for asking you know when I was
20:02
at Princeton someone said I'd been to
20:03
like 13 of the last 18 tournaments I'm
20:06
telling you it's way better when you're
20:07
hosting way better um and then of course
20:10
I was I had wanted it so so much that
20:12
you're like oh God what if it's not as
20:14
awesome as I've hoped for right sort of
20:16
like when I had told the Carolina team
20:18
we've got to get to the NCA tournament
20:19
there's nothing like it because they
20:21
hadn't been of that group that I had and
20:23
then it was Co and I was like I promise
20:26
it's usually way better than this right
20:28
and so I was so hopeful that it was we
20:30
hosted and then when we did I was like
20:32
oh my God imagine if it's not what not
20:35
all that we wanted and it was more it
20:37
really was more I think we've had great
20:38
crowds here since I've over the last two
20:40
years or so maybe even more three years
20:43
this one felt different as did whatever
20:45
night the last game was um it just felt
20:47
different and maybe that's me or maybe
20:49
it's that recognizing that people they
20:52
willed us here we got here and then they
20:53
showed up again and they were loud and
20:56
they wanted it as much as our our guys
20:58
did so it was even better than I could
20:59
have hoped
21:00
for room temperature water yeah room
21:03
temperature water you do cold water you
21:04
just gave me your room temperature water
21:06
it come from the fridge wasn't my choice
21:08
guys room temperature water us to a
21:10
straw pool or ice water room
21:13
temperature yeah psychopath it's a lot
21:16
of people thank you coach
21:18
congratulations thank you thanks
21:23
guys put it on a t-shirt
21:30
uh the two girls take
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