'You deserve everything': Alyssa Ustby bids Carmichael Arena farewell in last home game

All of Carmichael Arena was on its feet to celebrate Alyssa Ustby’s last game on UNC’s home court. 

And Ustby’s feet?

They were on the scorer’s table. 

The graduate forward asked assistant coach Joanne Aluka-White if she should get up there. Once she got the go-ahead, Ustby jumped up on the table next to UNC's bench, basking in what she described as the “perfect moment" and the last at North Carolina. She clenched her fists. She clapped her hands together. The crowd mimicked. 

“With the opportunity in front of me, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to do it,'" Ustby said. "It’s my last time ever playing in Carmichael Arena again. So I felt like, why not? That was a way to really give some props to the fans because our community, our fan base here at North Carolina, is like no other.”

In No. 3 seed North Carolina’s 58-47 victory over No. 6 seed West Virginia on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Ustby filled the stat sheet, recording 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks. She made 7-of-11 shots. She took matters into her own hands to propel UNC to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2022. 

But what she takes away the most from her five year career at UNC goes well beyond the numbers she puts up. 

Ustby was taken out of the game with under one minute remaining. The Tar Heels were up by 12. As she left the court, Ustby was embraced by head coach Courtney Banghart. 

The forward wasn’t ranked in ESPN’s national top-100 list of players when she was recruited. She was a three-star prospect. Ustby said she brought her recruiting class’ rank down. But Banghart always trusted in the graduate. She blossomed.

And Banghart couldn’t be more grateful for what Ustby has done for the North Carolina program. So, during the postgame press conference, the head coach took time to thank her player. 

“Thank you for how you’ve handled your career, how you’ve worn Carolina on your chest and who you’ve brought along with you,” Banghart said. “I know people are going to talk about that being your legacy game, and you deserve everything you felt tonight. It’s a joy to coach you."

In her “legacy game,” Ustby thrived. She found ways to expose and exacerbate West Virginia’s foul trouble.

West Virginia kept the contest tight as the 15th-ranked defense in the nation. North Carolina led 24-21 at halftime. 

But when several Mountaineer players got into foul trouble late in the third quarter, Banghart put Ustby at the five. There, the 6-foot-1 forward stormed through the bodies of her defenders. She attracted so much attention and played with so much physicality the Mountaineers couldn't stay disciplined. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Ustby drew four consecutive fouls all in one single possession. She converted on 7-of-10 shots from the free throw line, too. 

West Virginia head coach Mark Kellogg cycled through different defenders against Ustby. He adjusted defensive schemes. He tried man. He tried zone.

But there was no stopping her.

“Obviously, Ustby got us,” Kellogg said. “That was the matchup problem."

Banghart told her players to keep feeding Ustby, and they listened. 

“Alyssa had a terrible matchup,” sophomore guard Reniya Kelly said. “So we just kept going to it, kept going to it. No one can guard her in her position.” 

Ustby's a four-time All-ACC honoree. She became UNC’s all-time leading rebounder on Saturday. She overcame a battle with a torn medial meniscus in her knee in February in 14 days. 

And on Monday, all of her achievements were compiled into one perfect moment: jumping onto the scorer’s table.

As she slowly headed for the locker room, Ustby bid her final farewell to the people and place she credited for making her the player she is.  She waved. She took one last look around. 

"I know that's a moment," Ustby said, "I'm going to cherish for so long."

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