CARDS WBB TO FACE SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2025 ACC/SEC CHALLENGE -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CARDS WILL HOST GAMECOCKS IN CHALLENGE

Louisville women's basketball has never been known to back down from a challenge, and it looks like they may have an early one on the schedule when Dawn Staley brings her South Carolina Gamecocks to the KFC YUM! Center to face Walz and the Cards in the ACC/SEC annual challenge.

The national runner ups will come to town on Dec 4th. An official tip time and TV designation has yet to be determined. 

This will be the third year of the challenge for the squads...the Cards previously faced Oklahoma and Ole Miss in the past and are 1-1 overall in the challenge. South Carolina is 2-0...beating North Carolina and Duke. 

South Carolina's 2025-2026 roster is a formidable one, with returnees Raven Johnson, Tessa Johnson, Maddy McDaniel, Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts, Ashlyn Watkins, Maryam Dauda  and Adhel Tac. Transfers in Ta'Niya Latson and Madina Okot will bolster the roster and freshmen Ayla McDowell and Agot Makeer could play significant roles as well.

Dawn Staley has already booked an impressive early schedule...with a trip to USC on Nov 15th and Texas, Duke and UCLA in Las Vegas to close out November. The Gamecocks have also scheduled trips to play Florida and Kentucky in December. 

Kitts will cause problems for the Cards. The 6'2 senior forward was the SEC Tournament MVP last season and draws this compliment from Staley..: 

"She's a dawg playing this game and has become what we projected she could be when we first recruited her". 

Kitts on playing for the Gamecocks:

"You have to realize you go through highs and lows. You might have a good stretch of games...you might have a horrible stretch of games. You just have to try and find a healthy balance and believe that every thing is going to be OK." 

Overall, South Carolina is 18-4 against the Cards 

paulie

 

Louisville women's basketball to play in Hall Of Fame Challenge...Worrell tonight..FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HELLO, 2016-17! 

the Chicago Cubs honored this 100 yr. old fan...who also
pitched 3 innings of relief in a 10-1 win over the Padres...
(OK, not really) 

Today is July 1st and starts the official 2016-17 college sports season. 2015-16 was "The Year of the Fan" and although Cardinal fans didn't have a whole lot to get fired up about with men's basketball missing the tournament, baseball not getting to Omaha and such...we hope the upcoming season is a great one for all UofL sports, especially our women's sports programs. Kelsi Worrell has been a bright spot in The Year of the Fan and we'll get to her in just a bit. 

LOUISVILLE WBB WILL PLAY IN HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE. 

A glimspe into part of the Louisville WBB season has been revealed with the announcement that Jeff Walz's squad will be one of the eight teams in the four-game event known as the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge. 

Louisville will serve as the home host for the first three games they'll play in the event. The Cards will open up against Bowling Green on Nov 19th, play Lafayette on Nov. 20th and Chattanooga on Nov. 21st. All three games will take place in the KFC YUM! Center.

The final game of the challenge should be a real treat. The Cards will travel to the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA to face South Carolina on Nov. 27th. That match will be one of four played at the center that day.

South Carolina. With head coach Dawn Staley, who Walz served with last year on the FIBA USA U 18 squad. South Carolina, with Aja Wilson and Alaina Coates, who went 33-2 last year before getting knocked out by Syracuse in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Certainly a very tough early season test for the Cards...who will also play Maryland on Dec. 1st in the ACC/BIG10 Challenge in the KFC YUM! Center. Walz comments:

"It's an absolute honor to be a part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge. Our team is really excited about playing in a tournament of this caliber with some terrific teams and we're looking forward to...facing a remarkable South Carolina program."

No times have been announced for the games yet. We'll keep you posted and, if you are planning on going to Springfield, MA...the MassMutual Center only seats 8,000 for hoops...so you might want to inquire about tickets right away. 

The old adage goes...in order to be the best you have to beat the best. It looks like Louisville women's basketball will have a couple of those opportunities early in the 2016-17 season. 

WORRELL QUALIFIES FOR 100 FREE FINAL

Meanwhile, back in Omaha...(and just how hard do you think it was to get a hotel room in that city last week with the College World Series and the USA Swimming qualifiers for the Olympics going on?) Kelsi Worrell had a busy Thursday night...qualifying for the 100 freestyle finals tonight and just narrowly missing in the 200 butterfly finals with a seventh place finish. 

Freshman Mallory Comerford posted her best time ever in the 100 freestyle semi-finals but just missed out on qualifying for the finals tonight. Worrell is the sixth seed in the event. 

paulie
xxxxx

(Moore) of the same...USA blasts Egypt 104-41 to close Pool Play -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

MOORE'S 15 HELP USA ERASE EGYPT

The USA couldn't have been too worried about playing Egypt yesterday in the final round of pool play at the FIBA U 19 World Championships...after all, the Egyptians were 0-2 in games against Spain and China...teams that USA dispatched with relative ease. I know, you never overlook anyone...but this one seemed to be a romp-waiting-to-happen. 

For the first five minutes, though...Egypt looked like they belonged. A combination of shots that wouldn't fall and a slow start had the USA trailing Egypt 7-6 halfway through the first quarter. Five of Egypt's points had come from incoming WKU freshman Nadine Salaawi. She could be a good one for Michelle Clark Heard.


It was time shake it up a bit so USA head coach Dawn Staley brought in Shakayla Thomas, Lauren Cox, Crystal Dangerfield, Chatrice White and Jeff Walz...oops, Ali Patberg. The mass substitution worked and USA went on a 8-2 run to take a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

It just got worse for Egypt after that. 

52-18 at halftime....another buzzer beater by USA...this time Gabby Ortiz with the putback to end the half. Egypt played on a even keel with the USA squad in the third quarter...but trailed 80-41 at the end of three...getting their final basket of the game with 35 seconds in the third.

You read that right. USA pitched a 24-0 shutout in the final quarter. 

"Don't worry about it, Tommy. I got this covered." 

Mariya Moore and "Shaq" Thomas led USA with 15 points. "A" Wilson added 14 and Lauren Cox had an impressive 10 points and 17 rebounds against the diminutive Egyptians.

Moore stat line looked pretty decent. 5/6 from the floor, including 3/4 from three point range. She also hit both her free throws. No steals and 14 minutes of playing time. All the USA players saw at least 14 minutes and they all scored. 

So...the USA squad advances into the round of 16 and will face up against 0-3 Argentina today. It's a 10:30 a.m. start, according to the USA Basketball site and can be watched live at YouTube.com/FIBA

Other undefeated team are Russia, Australia and Belgium.

Paulie Observations

-- I'm gonna admit I didn't watch this one from start to finish...just the highlights...but if Lauren Cox could play her entire career against Egypt, she'd be the next "Stewie".

-- We want asst. coaches observations! All the quotes come out of Staley...and, yes, she is the head coach...but KBA and Walz are working just as hard. Give them the damn microphone...

-- USA had a 63-20 rebounding edge. A lot of that was because Egypt shot 25%. 

-- China knocked off Spain 66-63 yesterday to finish second in the Group B pool. Out of the eight games yesterday, USA was, by far, the team who scored the most points. Next was Australia with 87 against South Korea. 

-- And, in the "Gee, ya think so?"/Captain Obvious quote of yesterday...we bring you Coach Staley's observations on playing Argentina:

" We're going to have to get the ball inside." 

Uh....yeah....that could work.

Or maybe USA could stand behind the half-court line and bomb threes for four quarters?  

paulie
xxxxx

USA U 19, Moore defeat China 88-62 in Pool Play Sunday -- Monday Cardinal Couple

Moore with nine points, three assists in 26-point win

The USA U 19 team jumped out to a 12 point first quarter lead Sunday in Chekhov, Russia against the Chinese U 19 squad and steadily increased upon that as the game progressed...winning 88-62 to go 2-0 in pool play.

Louisville's soon-to-be-sophomore Mariya Moore played 20 minutes in the romp, hitting 2-4 of her trifecta attempts and ending with nine points and a team high three assists...all points scored in the second half. She worked well with the USA bigs again in today's game. 

They all bring a really big presence,” said Mariya Moore (Louisville/Richmond, Calif.) regarding her team’s post players. “I think that other teams focus on our inside, and even though they focus on it, we still get enough points inside.”

Another slow start for USA, who started Moore, A'ja Wilson, Gabby Ortiz, Napheesa Collier and Azura Stevens...trailing 9-8 after the first two minutes. When in doubt, go inside to A'ja Wilson and the USA responded with a 10-2 run over the next 150 seconds to lead 17-11 after a Collier three. 

Crystal Dangerfield hits her second buzzer beat of the tournament to make it 29-17 after 10.

Chatrice White goes for two against China

Lauren Cox may need free throw work...but she passes well and a nice feed to Shakayla Thomas gave USA a 31-17 lead early in the 2nd quarter. Mariya Moore re-entered the game shortly after and fed Cox inside to make it 35-20 with 6:35 to play. 

These officials were whistle-happy on travelling today (especially if you had USA across your jersey) but USA finished the half on a 20-9 run...following a Ortiz three with eight seconds left in the half. 

Mariya Moore got USA on the board finally...two minutes into the third quarter (another slow start to a half) with a free throw but Wilson returned to sidelines after tweaking the ankle she strained yesterday at the 5:26 mark....ending with 17 points in fifteen minutes. Moore responded to rally USA with back-to-back assists to Collier, a breakaway layup with 2:18 remaining and a three-pointer with 1:34 in the quarter to make it 72-45 USA. 

Mariya picked right up where she left off in the third by starting the fourth quarter with a three at the 9:43 mark...giving USA their biggest lead of the day at 79-47. She would eventually sit for the rest of the game a few minutes later and Shakayla Thomas took over for USA...who went on to win by 26. 

SOME PAULIE OBSERVATIONS:

--  KBA was back on the sidelines for USA today coaching. She's part of the three-part hand-off where....after a timeout...Staley hands the clipboard to Walz and goes to stand by the sidelines. Walz takes the clipboard and deftly hands it to Barnes-Arico who gets it to her seat on the bench safely and handles it until time-outs.

-- The Chinese line-up had two Wangs and two Xhangs. Once again, the rosters on the screen showed #14 as just "A" again for USA. (Maybe it's A'ja's nickname in Chekhov?) 

-- USA in white today. Didn't hear Walz yell "Go Big Blue" all afternoon. KBA had to be disappointed...Michigan is blue and she missed it yesterday. 

-- For the second day in a row, they shorten the USA national anthem in the pregame introductions. What's up with that? It's not like it's a 10 minute opus or anything. Communist plot, right? 

-- Kristine Anigwe dressed but didn't play. Probably the reason USA played Lauren Cox a lot. (18 minutes). Report was Kristine was a little under the weather. Too much caviar and borscht will do that to you. Feel better soon, KA. USA plays Egypt (0-2) Tuesday. 


paulie
xxxxx

Mariya Moore "steals" the show in 72-57 USA U 19 win -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

MOORE GETS FIVE STEALS IN ONE MINUTE AGAINST SPAIN

In what must surely be some kind of FIBA or International women's basketball competition record...Mariya Moore started out the fourth quarter of the pool play game against Spain with five straight steals in five consecutive possessions. The thefts led to a layup and two assists 
and pushed the USA lead to 67-40 with 8:58 to go in the fourth quarter. 

(Other writers are saying four steals...I saw five. Maybe one got officially credited as a turnover...but I say it was a steal. Went back and watched it again. Five steals.) 

Spain even took a time out after her fourth steal. It didn't matter...they came out of the huddle and she intercepted another pass and took it down court for an assist.

She looked like former UofL cornerback Gerald Holliman picking off an ACC quarterback. 


USA led 70-40 with 7:46 to play. At the 4 minute mark, Dawn Staley had reserves Chatrice White, Ali Patberg, Lauren Cox, Gabby Ortiz and Destiny Slocum in for mop up work on a 70-44 score.

No offense intended here...but with the four white girls left on the roster and the new kid who had been on a plane for 24 hours in the game... Spain outscored USA 13-2 over that final stretch. The game was way over by then. 

Moore had nine points for USA...getting the start. A slow start for USA and a brief scare when A'ja Wilson went crashing to the floor holding her ankle just two minutes into the contest. Fortunately, she returned several minutes later but USA led just 15-13 after 10...a Crystal Dangerfield three giving them the advantage.

This USA team looks to be at its best when they get the ball down low to Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Shakayla Thomas or Kristine Anigwe and once they started doing that...plus doubling down defensively on the Spanish ball-handlers...they pushed out to a 36-24 halftime lead. Wilson had two straight steals in the second quarter and Moore sat the bench the entire second quarter.

Why do people pose for pictures with their
hands over their crotch area? 

Give Spain credit for trying to keep it close. Two consecutive threes early in the third quarter narrowed it to 41-35 but the USA went on a 18-5 run to finish the third quarter and held a 19 point 59-40 lead before the Moore theatrics. 

Mariya finished with nine points...Wilson had 18 for USA and Thomas and Collier found double figures, too.

USA takes on China today in pool play. China defeated Egypt 73-60 yesterday.




SOME PAULIE OBSERVATIONS

-- I didn't see KBA (Kim Barnes Arico) on the USA bench. Squirrel hunting with Putin? 

-- I could definitely hear Walz from the bench. How strange is it to hear him yell "Way to go, Blue!" or "Nice job blue!" Is this the doppelganger Jeff Walz...who has embraced the Blue? 

-- Uh...what's Destiny Slocum doing on the bench? Answer:  She flew in to replace Katie Lou Samuelson. From Idaho. 24 hours on a plane. Arrive in time for warmups. Welcome to Moscow, comrade!

-- It's a 24 second clock in International play. I kinda like it...

-- I was OK with the YouTube, lack-of- announcers broadcast. I did notice that they aren't the best scorekeepers around, though. 

-- When they flashed the rosters on the screen...they listed #8 as Angel Salvadores Alvarez. What, she got married? The jersey still said Salvadores, though. 

-- The USA roster screen-listing left off Napheesa Collier and had #14 listed simply as "A". (A'ja Wilson). 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

ANOTHER GOLD FOR KELSI

UofLswimmer Kelsi Worrell picked up another gold medal in the 400 MR last night. Best swimmer in UofL women's swim team history? WTG Kelsi Whirl! Tearin' up Toronto! 



paulie
xxxxx

USA U 19 Team Prepares to Defend World Championship Title -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

ASIA DURR STILL OUT WITH INJURY AS TEAM GATHERS

Jeff Walz made the trip to Colorado Springs, CO a couple of days ago with one less Cardinal than originally expected...but the USA U 19 Women's basketball squad still looks to be a powerful force in the World Championships. 

Asia Durr, sidelined with a muscle injury, will not participate in the practices leading up to the trip to Spain and Russia or make the trip. She has been replaced on the roster by talented Ali Patberg...who will be a freshman at Notre Dame this fall. Durr also missed the 3x3 World Championships because of the injury and was replaced by Elizabethtown, KY star and Notre Dame commit Erin Boley. 

A groin injury can be painful but is generally not recurrent once properly healed. Get well for your freshman campaign at Louisville, Asia! This also goes to show what we've always surmised....it takes two Notre Dame recruits to fill in for one Louisville recruit.

(Get ready for the e-mails on that non-sequitur, Paulie and be sure to check back in tomorrow when Dr. Paulie discusses stubbed pinkies.)  

Mariya Moore is back for the U19 Squad and the Richmond, CA. native led Louisville in scoring as a freshman. She'll be looked to for leadership on a team that has six players who played D1 ball last season and six hoopsters that will play their first college season later this fall.


A'ja Wilson (South Carolina), Shakayla Thomas (FSU), Chatrice White (Illinois), Azura Stevens (Duke) and Gabbi Ortiz (Oklahoma) make up the part of the roster that has collegiate experience. Joining them are Patberg, Lauren Cox, Kristine Anigwe, Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson and Crystal Dangerfield.

Dawn Staley, head coach of the squad is excited for the re-gathering...the squad had a 5 p.m. (MST) practice yesterday and will have practices twice a day the next three days at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Walz and University of Michigan head WBB coach Kim Barens Arico are assistants on the USA squad.

Staley on Durr and the addition of Patberg:


"Anytime a team loses someone like Asia Durr, someone who has had a lot of success in USA Basketball, it leaves a pretty big void. But, our country has the best players in the world and in adding Patberg to the team...we'll be just fine." 

The USA squad will depart for Spain and Russia on July 8th.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

ONTO THE FINALS! 

How about that USA Women's Soccer World Cup team's win over Germany 2-0 last night! Another shutout for the Americans...who haven't been scored on in about one million minutes of play.


After a scoreless first half, the USA girls survived a missed penalty kick by Germany in the second half and then was able to capitalize on their own penalty kick with a score by Carli Lloyd. Lloyd also had the assist that allowed reserve forward Kelly O'Hara to score later in the half. 


A bit of controversy on the ruling that allowed Lloyd to attempt the go-ahead shot for USA. No doubt about O'Hara's score, though. No officials' replay or review exists in World Cup action. 

USA awaits the winner of England and Japan tonight to see who they'll face in Sunday's title game.

paulie
xxxxx 

Lacrosse starts ACC Tournament play today...Walz to coach on U19 team -- Thursday Cardinal Couple

( In the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE, we look at Lacrosse heading to the ACC Tournament and Walz headed to Russia. An international flair mixed with free position shots for you as we move toward the weekend!) 


LAX FACES DUKE IN ACC TOURNAMENT


No one said the first year in the ACC for Louisville Lacrosse would be an easy affair...and the Cards ended up right where the preseason prognostications put them, in seventh place...as they move from conference schedule to conference tournament today.

Charlottesville, VA is the home of the University of Virginia and it is where Louisville will look to survive and advance in the ACC Tournament against #2 seed Duke today at 4 p.m.

The two did hook up in conference play at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium on March 14th. The Cards led early in this one and took it to the wire before falling to the Blue Devils 10-8.

Faye Brust, Kaylin Morissettte, Hannah Koloski and Cortnee Daley had two goals each in the loss. Two Duke goals in the final 1:20...including one with a second left...were the difference. We also had a great post-game interview with the Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel, who started the program in 1996, after the game. The recap with Coach Young was...well...a bit subdued and very short. 


The Cards finished regular season play 10-6 and are currently ranked 11th in the nation. Without Faye Brust (knee injury) the attack has suffered but Louisville did knock off #10 Notre Dame to end the season. The Blue Devils ended the regular season with a loss to top-ranked North Carolina in Durham, NC. Louisville could use a win here, or at least a very close game to bolster their hopes to play in the NCAA Tournament this year.

Kaylin Morissette was the sole Card to be selected to the All-ACC Lacrosse team and was a first team selection. 

It'll be on ESPN 3 if you want to play along at home...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WALZ RETURN AS USA BASKETBALL COACH

The headline may be a bit misleading...Jeff Walz never left the USA to coach anywhere else.

 (imagine Walz coaching the Chinese National team)

What we're trying to say is that the mad scientist will hook up again this summer with Dawn Staley head coaching and Kim Barnes Arico keeping those two in check as they select and take a team to Chekhov, Russia for the USA U-19 World Championships.

The trio won the FIBA Americas U18 title in Colorado Springs last summer. One would surmise that those girls (including Louisville's Mariya Moore) might have the inside track to make the U19 squad...but approximately 30 girls will be involved in the tryouts. You have to be born on or after Jan. 1, 1996 to be considered...CARDINAL COUPLE'S Sonja just missing the cutoff date...

Tryouts are May 14-17, in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Facility and action begins on July 18th against Spain. 

16 nations will quest for the title...a title won by the USA the last five consecutive times. 

Oo-da-chee! (Which is 'good luck' in Russian)

paulie