Taking a look at the Louisville women’s basketball opening game against the Arizona Wildcats
It’s time to get up Cardnation because it is game week for the Louisville women’s basketball team.
On Friday the #6 ranked Louisville Cardinals will travel to Sioux Falls, SD to open their regular season. There they’ll play in the Invitational at the Sanford Pentagon against #22 Arizona. As he does every year Head Coach Jeff Walz doesn’t hide from competition as Louisville opens against the defending national runner-up in their first game of the season
One big storyline
The new-look Cards will be without superstar Dana Evans as she is weeks removed from winning a WNBA championship. The Cards also lost transfers Nyah Green and Elizabeth Balogun off of last year’s team.
Coach Walz brings back the rest of the team, including stars Hailey Van Lith & Mykasa Robinson (you can check out my interview with Kasa here), and added some key pieces to replace the departed players. The Cards went to the transfer portal to add grad transfer Chelsie Hall, and senior transfer Emily Engstler. In addition, from the 2021 recruiting class they add freshmen Payton Verhulst and Sydni Shetnan.
Listen: Off the Walz Podcast with Louisville Head Coach Jeff Walz
On a side note Shetnan will be going home to open her freshman year of college. The freshman went to Washington High School in Sioux Falls, SD.
Fast facts
This will be the third meeting all-time between Louisville and Arizona, but the first in just under 21 years.. The Cardinals or 0-2 versus the Wildcats.
The last matchup was December 17, 2000, where Louisville lost 90-60. The only other head-to-head battle was December 29, 1999, which saw Louisville fall 80-70 to Arizona.
I believe this will be a different matchup than the first two though.
The opponent: Arizona
The number 22 ranked, and defending national runner-up Arizona Wildcats will be a very large task to open the season. Like Louisville, Arizona loses its senior leader Aari McDonald. Another similarity between the teams is both lost a heartbreaker to eventual national champion Stanford. Regardless Head Coach Adia Barnes-Coppa will have her team ready for the Cardinals.
Let’s take a dive into the Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball team now. Seniors Sam Thomas and Cate Reese were both voted to the Preseason All-Pac-12 team. Thomas has been a staple of Arizona’s success since she has been there. Thomas is fifth all-time in three-point percentage,. eighth in steals, and second in blocked shots. Reese is sixteenth on Arizona’s all-time scoring list, third in free throw percentage, and tied for fifth in rebounds per game.
Thomas has also been named to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Watchlist, joining Louisville’s Emily Engstler. Junior guard Taylor Chavez has been named to the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Watchlist. Chavez transferred to Arizona this season from the Oregon Ducks after being the 2020 Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year. The junior joins Louisville senior Kianna Smith on the Watchlist.
I believe Louisville has the talent and the depth to be able to outlast Arizona in this contest. It will be a challenge that I am very optimistic Coach Walz will have the Cards ready for.
The Cards tip off the season this Friday, November 12th at 4:30 pm.
