CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL COUPLE
We report on the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports here. Thanks for checking us out! Click the picture of Louie to hear the latest Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast!!

Friday, April 13, 2018

Myisha Drafted 19th -- Jeff Walz Named U18 Coach -- Syd Zambrotta to transfer -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Myisha Drafted 19th in WNBA Draft

UofL's newest pro
Wiping tears from her eyes with a huge smile on her face Louisville forward Myisha Hines-Allen celebrated with her friends and family as she found out where life will be taking her next.  With the 19th pick of the WNBA Draft, the Washington (DC) Mystics selected the All-American.

Hines-Allen is the eighth Louisville women's basketball player to be selected in the WNBA Draft and the first since a trio of players went in the 2014 draft.  The 118 wins in four seasons make her the winningest player in program history.

Highlights from MHA's career include one Final Four and three Sweet Sixteens in four NCAA
appearances, tied for second at UofL in career double-doubles with 33, third in program history with 2028 career points, and second in program history with 1151 career rebounds.

She'll be with superstar Elena Della Donne and Cardinal great Asia Taylor on the Mystics roster. That sounds like a VERY powerful front line to us...in addition to the other "painters" on Washington's roster.

Congratulations to you, Myisha.  I know your accomplishments in the pros will be great.

Jeff Walz Takes No Breaks

What is Jeff Walz thinking?
It was announced yesterday that Jeff Walz will head up the USA U18 National Team.  His assistants include Delaware's Natasha Adair and UCLA Cori Close.

With the 2017-18 NCAA women's basketball season over Walz has a little bit of spare time outside of his recruiting trips and early preseason workouts to take on this responsibility.

The team will compete at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which dates and locations are to be determined.  The top four teams will qualify for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Sydney Zambrotta to transfer


From a source on the UofL women's basketball coaching staff, we have confirmed that guard Sydney Zambrotta is transferring and has been given her release from the program.

"Syd is looking for a place to get more playing time, She's a great kid and we are doing everything we can to help her."  is the quote we got from a representative of the Louisville basketball team.

In two years as a Cardinal, Zambrotta saw 530 minutes of court time in 62 games and had 1 start. She scored 195 points and was 49 for 129 from the three-point range. Her career high was against WKU back on 12/11/16 when she scored 15 points.

A 5'9" guard from North Babylon, NY....Syd was a 4-star recruit and chose Louisville over Miami (FL), Minnesota, Pittsburgh and South Carolina.

We at Cardinal Couple wish her the best in her future court time and will always remember the "Three....ZZZZ" yell Sean Moth would intone after a successful trifecta. Good luck, Syd !!



Are Cheerleading and Dancing Sports?

To clarify, I am specifically talking about what the University of Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds do.  In Wednesday's article I wrote about how the groups won four national championships over the weekend.

The textbook definition of "sport" is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment".

Going by the textbook definition both are sports without a doubt.  Their tumbling, movements, and pyramid-stacking would be considered physical exertion and skill.  When they compete against other schools in the championships  it would be for entertainment.

So why doesn't UofL make cheerleading and dancing part of their sports?

Cheerleaders pose with WBB
The obvious reason is because the NCAA doesn't recognize them as sports so if UofL became the only school to do so would be silly.  Secondly, the cheerleaders and Ladybirds are currently self-sufficient financially. Their car wash and spirit calendar fundraisers are just a couple of the fundraisers they participate in to raise money for uniforms.  The university covers travel and hotel expenses for NCAA Tournaments, but athletics does not offer scholarships to the groups.  Any scholarships the spirit members receive are on the academic side of things.

It is unfortunate that the NCAA will not recognize cheerleading and dancing as sports, but hopefully we will see more recognition for the groups in the future.  They do have more championships in their history than all of the other 21 UofL sports combined...

Lacrosse and Softball

Rain won't melt lacrosse
Softball pushed their Friday game against Syracuse up to 2:00.  It is on the road so make sure to tune into Twitter early for updates.  Women's tennis is enjoying the weather- warmer weather than the warm weather we finally have- down in Clemson and will start at noon.  Football (7:30) and men's soccer (8:00) both moved their games up from Saturday to today because of pending weather.

The wonderful SID for women's basketball and lacrosse, Nick Evans, also does some work with the Louisville Bats.  I spoke with him about weather affecting lacrosse on Saturday.  He laughed. Rain won't make the team melt... unless they're in the Wizard of Oz.  As long as lightning does not make it's way to Floyd Street they are still set to go at noon on Saturday.

Besides being Friday the 13th (let's hope for some good luck) today is also Scrabble Day, Peach Cobbler Day, and Blame Someone Else Day (the first Friday the 13th of each calendar year).  So just remember, it's probably Paulie's fault.  What did he do?  Who knows, but we'll blame him anyways until he passes the blame onto Sam Purcell.

Enjoy Your Friday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

6 comments:

  1. Hate to say it but "Z" was at the top of my list as possible transfers. On a guard-rich roster and she's a player, wants to play. Good luck, Z and knck 'em down wherever you end up.

    Curtis "Threeeee...ZZZZZZ!!!!!!" Franklin

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Curtis. My feeling was that if Z couldn't get meaningful playing time this year the handwriting was pretty much on the wall for her junior and senior years, since Durr, Evans and Carter return and Duvall, Robins, Robinson and Green are on the way.

    Glad to see MHA fulfill her dream of playing in WNBA. I'm concerned for Asia Taylor. She was the last player on the roster for the Mystics last season and MHA may end up taking her spot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like 17 will report to training for the Mystics. Front liners include Krystal Thomas (Duke) Devereaux Peters (ND), LaToya Sanders (UNC), Tianna Hawkins, Monique Currie, Elena Della Donne, Asia and Myisha.

    Got to be optimistic that the Mystics will keep six or seven the eight and both Myisha and Asia make the cut. Rebecca Greenwell also in camp as a guard. Been injury prone her whole college career. Gotta wonder about her.

    Don't exactly remember how many a WNBA team keeps on roster.

    Paulie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m excited MHA got drafted and she deserved it. She’s a great player and I think she can be really effective at the next level. I do wish that she had been drafted by a team that needed to fill a front court position. outside of the first round picks in the WNBA there is no guarantee that players will make the roster and there is no developmental league for WNBA players to play in and eventually get called up. I’m rooting for Myisha of course! I believe in her!!

      Delete
  4. Sad about Syd but buy giving her zero playing time....This is what happens. Good luck to her!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree Denise Sydney need more playing time I love that pretty aching shoot of hers best of luck syd.

    ReplyDelete

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