What channel is UNC-Western Illinois WBB on Friday evening?
What channel is the UNC women's basketball team's NCAA Tournament opener on? Here's how to watch, including TV schedule, odds and streaming info.
Making its seventh-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the UNC women's basketball team is ready to prove itself with a deep run. North Carolina (26-7, 14-4 ACC), playing as a 4-seed in the first Fort Worth region, will host 13-seed Western Illinois at Carmichael Arena on Friday at 5:30 p. m.
A cool quirk in the NCAA Women's Tournament: if you earn a Top-4 regional seed, you host the first two rounds. Along with the Tar Heels and the Ohio Valley Conference Champion Leathernecks (26-5, 16-4 OVC), 5-seed Maryland and 12-seed Murray State will play in the other Chapel Hill game. Despite losing seniors Alyssa Ustby , Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski to graduation, UNC re-loaded this offseason with a combination of strong returners, recruits and transfers.
North Carolina has just four losses in 2026, with three coming to fellow NCAA Tournament teams. UNC is a younger, deeper roster with seven players averaging a minimum six points per game. Nyla Harris leads the Tar Heels' frontcourt, averaging a team-best 11.
3 points and 6. 7 rebounds per game. North Carolina has a trio of dependable guards, with Lanie Grant (10.