Alyssa Ustby breaks UNC women's basketball's rebound record after 'medical miracle'

1,246… 1,247… 1,248.

Every time Alyssa Ustby recorded a rebound, her father, Todd, held a new poster board above his head. He made seven different signs to count Ustby's career rebounding total as it grew closer to breaking the record.

1,249… 1,250… 1,251. 

A transition layup attempt rolled off the rim. There was Ustby. She jumped up. Caught it with both hands. Laid it in. 

Up went the commemorative sign:

1,252 USTBY GRABS HISTORY!!

Late in the fourth quarter of No. 3 seed North Carolina’s 70-49 victory over No. 14 seed Oregon State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Ustby got her moment. She did it with the toughness that has defined her whole career, ultimately battling back from injury to break Bernadette McGlade's all-time UNC rebounding record, who played from 1977-80. 

“I never thought she would do it,” Todd Ustby said after the game, as tears rolled down his cheeks. “She’s been injured, she didn’t play the last five games of the season, didn’t know if they were going to host the tournament, didn’t know if they would win this game, didn’t know so many uncertainties — but to see something accomplished that nobody’s done for 45 years is amazing.” 

After cementing history, the game paused as an Oregon State player tied her shoe, offering Ustby a moment to soak it all in. She stood at mid-court and completed a slow turnaround to acknowledge every fan in Carmichael Arena who rose to their feet. 

“It’s really special to be supported by this community,” Ustby said. “I’ve been loved on so much by all the people that surround it and I’m just really grateful to be a Tar Heel.” 

To understand how Ustby broke a record that stood for almost a half-century, you have to know how she plays. 

She possesses a grit head coach Courtney Banghart believes can’t be taught. It's this asset that sets her apart. 

“Her toughness has been a hallmark of our program," Banghart said, "And it's why she's so adored." 

It came from Rochester, Minn. There, Ustby grew up with three older brothers — James, Mark and Matt — who didn’t teach her to be tough but made her. 

“They didn’t care if I tripped or fell or got beat up a little bit,” Ustby remembered. “So I definitely credit that early on to setting a path of becoming an athlete that embodies grit and perseverance and toughness all around.” 

She's leaned on this toughness all season, playing through bruises and jammed fingers her entire college career. But in February, when No. 12 North Carolina defeated No. 10 N.C. State at home, Ustby faced her biggest challenge yet. 

She left the game after three minutes with a torn medial meniscus in her left knee. It required surgery the day after the N.C. State game, where typical recovery time is four to six weeks. 

But Ustby was cleared after 14 days. 

“My sports performance staff were calling it a medical miracle,” Ustby said. 

She willed her way back on the court, needing 41 rebounds to make history. And after three ACC games averaging 10.7 boards — with a career-high 18-rebound performance against Florida State — Ustby was just nine short of the record. 

Then came Saturday. 

Against a tall Oregon State team, a 6-foot-1 Ustby moved to center after senior Maria Gakdeng got into foul trouble.

Of course, Ustby was not intimidated. Instead, she was excited about the challenge. 

“When I saw I was getting pushed to the five," Ustby said, "I was like, ‘Yes, I want to bump around with girls that are much taller than me.'"

UNC outscored Oregon State, 40-16, in the paint. And despite the tough assignment of guarding 6-foot-7 Sela Heide, Ustby secured all nine rebounds for the career-defining accomplishment.

“It’s great," McGlade said, "Records are meant to be broken."

Since arriving in Chapel Hill, Ustby brought a team that was 13-11 in her first season to 28 wins in her last. The Tar Heels are now hosting the NCAA tournament in “the house that she’s rebuilt” for the first time since 2015.

Though her name will be etched into the record books for decades to come, it will be her lasting legacy off the court that surpasses any record she holds. 

“The most important thing for me is to contribute to something larger than myself,” Ustby said.  “That is, our team and this program, and to inspire people in the stands. Specifically, young girls that look up to me and the rest of our team. I want to make sure that it's not only important what I do, but it's how I do it.”

@cadeshoemaker23

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