31-07-2025
UNC WBB to open up 2025-2026 season against 3-time National Champions
Who will the UNC women's basketball team face to kick off its 2025-2026 season?
See you in the ATL 👋
Under the guidance of head coach Courtney Banghart, the UNC women's basketball team is turning itself back into a talented, respectable postseason regular.
North Carolina made a Sweet 16 run during its 2024-2025 campaign, the second time doing so in four seasons. The Tar Heels beat Oregon State and West Virginia en route to this year's Sweet 16, before falling to archrival Duke.
UNC competes with and knows how to beat the country's top teams, as evidenced by victories last year over ranked Kentucky, Duke, California and NC State squads.
North Carolina will start its 2025-2026 season against the best team across women's college basketball. On Tuesday, the Tar Heels announced they will face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Thursday, October 30 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
This is the first announcement of any UNC opponent for next season. North Carolina officially kicked off its 2024-2025 slate with a November 4 thrashing of Charleston Southern, so expect a regular-season game to short follow South Carolina this season.
The Tar Heels and Gamecocks are no stranger to each other, most recently facing off in the 2023 ACC-SEC Challenge. UNC nearly shocked the college basketball world on that November 30 night, holding a halftime lead, but the eventual NCAA Tournament Champions pulled away for a 65-58 victory.
North Carolina will return 10 players from last year's roster, most notably guards Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant, but says goodbye to the talented leadership trio of Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski.
The Tar Heels will be tested early and, even though their matchup with South Carolina won't count for anything official, can prove they belong amongst the country's top programs with a strong showing.
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