Alyssa Ustby

Ustby was raised in Rochester, Minnesota, the daughter of Todd and Lisa Ustby, and has three older brothers. She began playing basketball in second grade after having gone to her brothers' practices. She attended Lourdes High School, where was named all-state three times and set school records in career points (2,560) and rebounds (1,287). In her senior year, she was nominated for Minnesota Miss Basketball and the McDonald's All-American Game. She starred in two other high school sports: she set the school softball record for career stolen bases and led the team to the state championship as a junior, and she led the school soccer team in scoring as a senior with 14 goals.{{cite web|url=https://goheels.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/alyssa-ustby/25696|title=Alyssa Ustby|publisher=North Carolina Tar Heels|access-date=2024-11-07}} She was a three-star recruit when she committed to the University of North Carolina. Head coach Courtney Banghart said she was "totally underrated, but I saw a high-motor, competitive and versatile athlete who had incredible footwork". Ustby's parents moved to Durham, North Carolina, to be able to watch their daughter play.{{cite news|url=https://tarheeltribune.com/2023/12/17/ustbys-parents-built-triangle-house-when-unc-career-started-quickly-embraced-area/|title=Ustby's parents built Triangle house when UNC career started, quickly embraced area|date=2023-12-17|website=Tar Heel Tribune|access-date=2024-11-07}}

Ustby debuted for the North Carolina Tar Heels on November 25, 2020, scoring 13 points in a 90–61 win over Radford.{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/womens-basketball-tar-heels-open-season-with-90-61-victory-over-radford|title=Women's Basketball: Tar Heels Open Season With 90-61 Victory Over Radford|last=Trendel|first=Avery|date=2020-11-25|website=Chapelboro.com|access-date=2024-11-07}} She recorded her first double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in a 95–70 win over High Point on November 29. She made her first start on December 17 in a 92–68 win over Syracuse, after which she held a starting position for the rest of her career. She shot 4-for-4 from three and posted 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 76–69 win over NC State on February 7, 2021.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll-066fa29a622b0a655ab3878df8e0f7e9|title=Ustby, 3-point shooting help UNC upset No. 4 NC State 76-69|last=Beard|first=Aaron|date=2021-02-08|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=2024-11-07}} She led the team in scoring with a career-high 23 points in an 82–71 loss to Wake Forest in the ACC tournament second round on March 4.{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/wake-forest-hands-unc-womens-basketball-early-exit-from-acc-tournament|title=Wake Forest Hands UNC Women's Basketball Early Exit From ACC Tournament|last=Trendel|first=Avery|date=2021-03-04|website=Chapelboro.com|access-date=2024-11-07}} She scored 7 points and grabbed 5 rebounds for No. 10–seeded North Carolina in an 80–71 loss to No. 7 Alabama in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Ustby played a team high in minutes in her freshman season, averaging 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2021/11/unc-womens-basketball-alyssa-ustby-feature-guard|title=UNC guard Alyssa Ustby uses strong work ethic, passion for the game to help her team|date=2021-11-09|newspaper=The Daily Tar Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}}

Ustby tied her career high with 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 72–59 win over VCU in the Bahamas on November 26, 2021. She scored 12 points with 12 rebounds for No. 5 seed North Carolina in a 63–45 win over No. 4 Arizona in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In the next round, she scored only 4 points with 7 rebounds in a 61–69 loss to eventual champions No. 1 South Carolina. She averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game in her sophomore 2021–22 season, earning second-team All-ACC honors. Her season total of 13 double-doubles was the second most in the ACC.

Ustby grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and scored 9 points in a 56–47 win over NC State on January 15, 2023.{{cite news|url=https://www.wunc.org/sports/2023-01-16/photos-unc-nc-state-womens-basketball-sellout-crowd-acc|title=Photos: UNC tops N.C. State in women's basketball in front of sellout crowd|date=2023-01-16|publisher=WUNC (FM)|access-date=2024-11-07}} On March 18, she scored her 1000th career point for No. 6 seed North Carolina in a 61–59 win over No. 11 St. John's in the first round of the NCAA tournament.{{cite news|url=https://keepingitheel.com/2023/03/18/unc-basketball-alyssa-ustby-reaches-1000-career-point-milestone/|title=UNC Basketball: Alyssa Ustby reaches 1,000 career point milestone|date=2023-03-18|last=Delahanty|first=Nick|website=Keeping It Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}} In the second round, she scored 16 points with 9 rebounds in a 71–69 loss to No. 3 Ohio State.{{cite news|url=https://www.postbulletin.com/sports/college/alyssa-ustby-reflects-on-banner-season-at-north-carolina-eager-for-whats-ahead|title=Alyssa Ustby reflects on banner season at North Carolina, eager for what's ahead

|last=Ruff|first=Pat|date=2023-05-20|newspaper=Post-Bulletin|access-date=2024-11-07}} She averaged 13.2 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game in her junior 2022–23 season, earning first-team All-ACC honors.

Ustby held a three-day girls' basketball camp in her hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, before the 2023–24 season, a year when she became one of the team's captains.{{cite news|url=https://www.kttc.com/2023/08/17/lourdes-grad-unc-star-alyssa-ustby-hosts-youth-basketball-camp/|title=Lourdes Grad, UNC Star Alyssa Ustby Hosts Youth Basketball Camp|last=Mitchell|first=Julian|date=2023-08-17|publisher=KTTC|access-date=2024-11-07}} On January 4, 2024, she became the first player in program history to record a triple-double when she posted 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 75–51 win over Syracuse.{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/alyssa-ustbys-triple-double-leads-unc-womens-basketball-past-no-25-syracuse|title=Alyssa Ustby's Triple-Double Leads UNC Women's Basketball Past No. 25 Syracuse|last=Koh|first=Michael|date=2024-01-04|website=Chapelboro.com|access-date=2024-11-07}} On February 18, she set a new career high with 25 points and added 10 rebounds in a 58–50 win over Wake Forest.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/02/alyssa-ustby-25-point-double-double-unc-womens-basketball-wake-forest-deja-kelly-courtney-banghart|title=Alyssa Ustby's 25-point double-double carries UNC women's hoops to win over Wake Forest|last=Waid|first=Maya|date=2024-02-18|newspaper=The Daily Tar Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}} She scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for No. 8 seed North Carolina in a 59–56 win over No. 9 Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/03/sports-womens-basketball-ncaat-msu-gamer-march-2024|title=UNC women's hoops survives in 59-56 thriller over Michigan State to advance to NCAAT second round|last=Moon|first=Emma|date=2024-03-22|newspaper=The Daily Tar Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}} In the second round, she shot 4-for-16 yet was her team's top scorer with 12 points in an 88–41 blowout loss to eventual champions No. 1 South Carolina.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/03/sports-womens-basketball-south-carolina-march-gamer-2024|title=UNC women's basketball eliminated from NCAA tournament in 88-41 loss to South Carolina|last=Moon|first=Emma|date=2024-03-24|newspaper=The Daily Tar Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}} She averaged 12.5 points, a team-high 9.5 rebounds, and a team-high 3.6 assists in her senior 2023–24 season, earning second-team All-ACC honors.{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/uncs-deja-kelly-named-1st-team-all-acc-alyssa-ustby-2nd-team|title=UNC's Deja Kelly Named 1st Team All-ACC; Alyssa Ustby 2nd Team|last=Koh|first=Michael|date=2024-03-05|website=Chapelboro.com|access-date=2024-11-07}} After the season, she announced that she would return to North Carolina for a fifth and final year. She was part of the last college class granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/uncs-alyssa-ustby-announces-return-for-fifth-season-in-chapel-hill|title=UNC's Alyssa Ustby Announces Return for 5th Season in Chapel Hill|last=Koh|first=Michael|date=2024-04-26|website=Chapelboro.com|access-date=2024-11-07}}

Ustby captained the Tar Heels as the only non-transfer graduate student on the team in the 2024–25 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/10/do-not-pub-sports-womens-basketball-alyssa-ustby-feature-october-2024|title=Graduate Alyssa Ustby transforms shot, revitalizes leader role in final year at UNC|date=2024-10-29|last=Lancaster|first=Anna Page|newspaper=The Daily Tar Heel|access-date=2024-11-07}} On March 7, 2025, she scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 60–56 win over Florida State, sending the Tar Heels to the semifinals of the ACC tournament. She helped North Carolina earn a three seed in the NCAA tournament, hosting tournament games at home for the first time in ten years.{{cite news|url=https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina/article/unc-wbb-earns-no-3-seed-hosting-for-first-time-in-10-years-247162834/|title=UNC WBB Earns No. 3 Seed, Hosting For First Time In 10 Years|last=Holloway|first=Jeremiah|date=2025-05-16|website=247Sports|access-date=2025-04-14}} During the NCAA tournament, where the Tar Heels reached the third round, Ustby surpassed Bernadette McGlade to become North Carolina's all-time leading rebounder. She finished her career with 1,269 career boards, good for third in ACC history. Ustby averaged 10.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and a team-high 2.8 assists per game in her graduate season, being named to the All-ACC first team and the ACC all-defensive team.

On April 15, 2025, the day after going unselected in the 2025 WNBA draft, Ustby signed with the Los Angeles Sparks as an undrafted free agent.{{cite tweet|number=1912174079182037084|title=The Sparks have signed Alyssa Ustby as an undrafted free agent. |user=LASparks|author=Los Angeles Sparks|author-link=Los Angeles Sparks|date=2025-04-15|access-date=2025-04-15}} On May 1, she was waived by the Sparks.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-02 |title=Sparks Waive Two Players Ahead of 2025 Season |url=https://www.si.com/wnba/sparks/news/sparks-waive-two-players-ahead-of-2025-season |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Los Angeles Sparks On SI |language=en-US}}

{{WNBA player statistics legend}}

{{WNBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21

| style="text-align:left;"| UNC

|24||17||30.0||49.8||32.4||54.3||5.7||2.2||1.6||0.5||1.8||9.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22

| style="text-align:left;"| UNC

|32||32||31.8||44.5||30.9||57.5||8.6||2.3||1.7||0.7||2.4||12.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23

| style="text-align:left;"| UNC

|28||28||31.0||50.6||30.3||56.9||8.3||2.3||1.9||1.1||3.0||13.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24

| style="text-align:left;"| UNC

|33||33||33.9||47.5||25.0||57.7||9.5||3.6||1.7||1.3||2.9||12.5

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2024–25

| style="text-align:left;"| UNC

|33||33||29.9||45.6||34.0||55.0||9.5||2.8||1.2||1.0||2.6||10.9

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career

|150||143||31.4||47.3||31.6||56.6||8.5||2.7||1.6||0.9||2.6||11.9

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="14"|Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/alyssa-ustby-1.html|title=Alyssa Ustby College Stats|publisher=Sports-Reference|accessdate=April 1, 2025}}

{{S-end}}

Before her junior year of college, Ustby played for the United States national under-23 3x3 team in August–September 2022.{{cite web|url=https://play.fiba3x3.com/players/ba6a3861-4071-4a3e-9603-85da3312900c/activity|title=Alyssa Anne Ustby|publisher=FIBA 3x3 World Cup|access-date=2024-11-07}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://goheels.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/alyssa-ustby/24400 Alyssa Ustby] at the North Carolina Tar Heels

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Category:Living people

Category:2002 births

Category:American women's basketball players

Category:Sportspeople from Rochester, Minnesota

Category:Basketball players from Minnesota

Category:Guards (basketball)

Category:Forwards (basketball)

Category:North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball players

Category:Los Angeles Sparks players