Fifth-year wing Alyssa Ustby earned first team All-ACC honors for the second time in her career Tuesday, one of four Tar Heels honored in the league’s annual awards. Ustby also earned a spot on the All-Defensive team.

It’s the fourth season in a row Ustby has received an All-ACC nod. She ranks second on UNC’s all-time rebounding list and eighth in blocks. Her 1,722 career points ran Ustby inside the school’s top 20. In her fifth and final season in Chapel Hill, Ustby is averaging 10.7 points and a team-high 9.4 rebounds per game, while her 16 games with double-digit points rank first.

Maria Gakdeng earned a second team All-ACC nod in her final collegiate season. The Boston College transfer, playing in her second season as a Tar Heel, leads UNC in field goal percentage (62.5 percent) and is averaging 12.8 points per game in conference play. Joining Gakdeng on the second team is Reniya Kelly, who is averaging 10.1 points per game and earned ACC and National Player of the Week honors in February after back-to-back 20-point outings against Virginia Tech and NC State. She also leads the team in three-point percentage at 41.9.

Freshman Lanie Grant earned a spot on the league’s All-Freshman team. Grant – who reclassified into UNC’s 2024 recruiting class and is the age of a high school senior – appeared in all 31 of the team’s games this season and started twice. She averaged 8.3 points per game and reached double figures 10 times, with seven of those games coming in ACC competition. Grant scored a career-high 19 points to lead UNC to a comeback win at Louisville in February.

For the full list of award winners around the league, click here.

The Tar Heels will be back in action when they face either Boston College or Syracuse in the second round of the ACC Tournament Thursday at 11 a.m. in Greensboro. The status of both Kelly and Ustby is uncertain, as Kelly has missed the last two games and Ustby the last four with injuries. Head coach Courtney Banghart said both would play in the NCAA Tournament, but was less certain about ACC Tournament action.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/LM Otero

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