The Tar Heels are closing out 2025 with momentum-and a spot among the nation’s top 15.
North Carolina women’s basketball checks in at No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, the final rankings update before the calendar flips to 2026. At 12-3 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, the Tar Heels are riding a three-game win streak, capped by a dominant 90-39 road win over Boston College on December 29. That kind of performance doesn’t just pad the win column-it sends a message.
UNC’s frontcourt showed up in a big way in Chestnut Hill. Nyla Harris flirted with a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
Ciera Toomey added 11 points and 8 boards of her own, while Nyla Brooks contributed 15 points off the bench. That trio set the tone early and never let up, overwhelming a Boston College squad that couldn’t match Carolina’s pace, size, or execution.
The Tar Heels now return to the friendly confines of Carmichael Auditorium for a pair of big non-conference matchups to kick off the new year. First up is California (9-5) on January 1, followed by a marquee showdown with No.
12 Stanford (12-2) on January 4. These games offer UNC a chance to build on its recent momentum-and potentially pick up a much-needed Quadrant 1 win.
Indya Nivar continues to be the steady hand for UNC, leading the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game. Her ability to create off the dribble and knock down shots from the perimeter gives the Heels a consistent offensive threat, and she’s been a key reason why this team has been able to weather early-season challenges and stay in the national conversation.
Around the ACC, UNC isn’t alone in the rankings. No.
13 Louisville (12-3) and No. 18 Notre Dame (10-2) are also holding strong in the coaches poll, giving the conference three teams in the top 20.
That’s a sign of the depth and competitiveness the ACC brings to the table this season-and it means every conference matchup is going to matter that much more.
Looking across the rest of the rankings, UConn holds the top spot with 28 first-place votes, followed by Texas, South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU rounding out the top five. The Tar Heels sit just behind Iowa at No. 14 and ahead of USC at No. 16.
In the AP Top 25, UNC is currently ranked No. 16.
There was no update to that poll on December 29, so the next release will come on January 5. Meanwhile, in the NCAA’s NET rankings-a key metric used for tournament seeding and selection-the Tar Heels are sitting at No.
- That’s a solid position, but it also highlights an area for growth: UNC is 0-3 in Quadrant 1 games so far this season.
However, they’ve taken care of business everywhere else, going a perfect 12-0 in Quadrants 2 through 4.
For context, Quadrant 1 games are the toughest on the schedule-home games against top-30 teams, neutral-site matchups against top-50 opponents, and road games against teams ranked in the top 75. It’s the kind of resume-building territory that separates good teams from great ones. And with Stanford coming to Chapel Hill in just a few days, UNC has a prime opportunity to flip that Q1 narrative.
So as 2026 approaches, the Tar Heels find themselves in a strong position-ranked, rolling, and ready to test themselves against elite competition. The pieces are there: a balanced scoring attack, a deep rotation, and a defense that can smother opponents when locked in. Now, it’s about stacking wins and proving they belong among the nation’s best.