Geonism? -- USA OLYMPIC team starts four UConn players in win over Team Select -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

IS THIS THE USA OLYMPIC WBB TEAM OR UCONN ALL-STARS? 

The term "jingoism" means extreme patriotism. Often used to describe the extreme loyality or patriotism one feels for a country or cause.

"Genoism" The head USA Olympic women's basketball coach starting four ex-Huskies against the USA Select team in their final exhibition tune up before hitting the world's competition. 

Is Sue Byrd, at age 34, the best point guard in the United States? I think Asia Durr is faster and much more exciting to watch. Is Diana Taurasi attached to her hip? She was 1-7 from the "three". Bring in Arica Carter...she's been shooting better than that and has a great smile. 

Yes, I know. They've had very few practices together and Geno is just trying to find a cohesive group right now. The 88-84 win close...but this was the Harlem Globetrotters against the New York Generals. No one expected USA Olympics to lose. They didn't. It may be the closest game they'll experience in their brief formation.  

Don't get me wrong, all are WNBA stars. Five of the twelve just happened to play for UConn. The average age of the squad is 30. 

"If I'd gome to UConn, I'd be out there now"

Our Angel McCoughtry played and nine points in fifteen minutes against the likes of Jewel Loyd, Odyssey Sims and Sugar Rogers. They probably faced the toughest opponent that they'll face in the whole exhibition and Olympic games. 

All told, there are probably over 100 players Geno and the crew could have picked from that could go to Rio and win the gold for the USA.


And that is, ultimately, the objective. Get the Gold for the USA. Doesn't matter if it's JMU, TCU, WKU or UConn athletes out there. It's America's team. 

A buddy and I were talking last night, hypothesizing...about a 12 player UofL WBB team in the Olympics. We're going with Angel McCoughtry, Asia Taylor, Myisha Hines-Allen, Mariya Moore, Sara Hammond, Mo Reid, Asia Durr, Arica Carter, Cortnee Walton, Nita Slaughter, Becky Burke and Briahanna Jackson. I bet we'd get a medal in Olympic competition. 

I'm calling our mayor Greg Fischer immediately and suggest we declare our independence and become the principality of Louahvul. It's not too late to get this team and other Olympic sports together. We'd do well in swimming. Emmonnie Henderson and Jere Summers could throw field events. Dan McDonnell could take the baseball team down there. The time is now, fellow Louisvillians! 

Maybe Geno, who will probably still be around and winning in 2020, should suggest that Connecticut withdraw from the United States so he can stock a roster of 12 former and current UConn players for the Olympics that year. 

Finally, wouldn't it be nice to see five former UofL players on the 2020 Olympics basketball squad? Or five Cards in the WNBA in 2020?



Have a great Wednesday! 

paulie
xxxxx

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Lynx Lose to Phoenix

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-  MINNESOTA FALLS TO THE MERCURY

- ATLANTA WINS


 Led by Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury ended their long losing streak against the defending champion Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.


Taurasi had 21 points and 11 assists, Candice Dupree had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Mercury (8-3) beat the Lynx 80-72.


Phoenix topped Minnesota for the first time since 2011 - a streak spanning 10 regular season and four playoff games.


''It's nice to win here, they are the champs and they don't lose at home,'' Taurasi said. ''But I was never really frustrated about it. When you're the better team and you beat us, I mean ... that's sports.''


Taurasi led a strong Mercury offense that shot 52.5 percent from the field, including 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brittney Griner scored 14 points and DeWanna Bonner added 12 for the Mercury, who had four players score in double figures.


The Mercury have a losing history against the Lynx, getting knocked out of the playoffs in 2011 and 2013 by Minnesota.


But Phoenix caught the Lynx at the right time, as Minnesota has lost three of its past four games after starting 7-0 on the season.


Maya Moore had 14 points for the Lynx (8-3) as Minnesota lost at home for the first time this season.
Phoenix wasted no time after the opening tip.


The Mercury ended the first quarter on a 17-4 run and led by as much as 23 in the second quarter.


''Second halves have been closer to what the Lynx have been,'' Moore said. ''We're going to have to have a more determined mindset coming out, starting games. We need to have more of a sense of urgency on the defensive end. Our offense gets energy from our defense. When that doesn't set the tone for us, our offense doesn't have as much pep.''


The Lynx trailed 50-31 at halftime, but were sparked in the second half by Minnesota guard Tan White, who had 11 of her 13 points in the second half to lead a rally.


Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was called for two fouls, one technical, in the second half, both for stepping out of restricted areas on the court.


Phoenix had its lead dwindle to 78-72 in the final minute, but the Lynx had missed jumpers from both White and Monica Wright in the final possessions. Wright, who had arthroscopic surgery on her left knee on April 25, was available for the first time this season on Sunday.

Asia Taylor had nine points on 4-6 shooting and two rebounds in 15 minutes in a reserve role.



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 Erika DeSouza and Angel McCoughtry each scored 16 points and the Atlanta Dream won their fourth straight game with a 75-67 victory over the turnover-plagued Washington Mystics on Sunday.


Sancho Lyttle scored 10 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and Tiffany Hayes had 14 for the Dream (7-3), who turned Washington's 21 turnovers into 21 points.


Washington trailed by 11 in the first half and tied the game three times after halftime, but never took the lead. Lyttle's scoring fueled a decisive 11-3 run starting with 3:48 remaining.


Atlanta outrebounded Washington 17-4 on the offensive boards and held an 18-0 advantage in second-chance points.


''Championships are won with good defense and good rebounding,'' Dream coach Michael Cooper said. ''I thought we did that right when we really needed it."

Shoni Schimmel had six points in 27 minutes for the Dream.

paulie

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Dream drop another one...Youman, Juneau BIG EAST All-Academic... Okoro wins shot put

cardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscardscards

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:

-Dream interrupted by Di & Mercury

-Five from UofL named to BIG EAST awards

-Chinwe Okoro wins Nigerian shot put

-What do you think?

The tough early season sledding continues for Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream. Last night it was our favorite here at CARDINAL COUPLE, Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury putting an "L" on the Atlanta record...with a 92-83 win in Atlanta.

Di is seen here asking George Bush to
give up the presidency and join the WNBA

Di had 20 for Phoenix and Candice Dupree contributed 18 in the Mercury win. Atlanta got Angel McCoughtry to toss in 24 - her second best performance of the season- and Courtney Paris added 13 but it wasn't enough to keep Atlanta from sliding to 2-6 on the season.

The Dream trailed by 20 points in this floater with five minutes left and never had an answer for the Mercury's fast paced tempo. The Dream used to run the ball pretty well too...but never got rolling last night. Atlanta gets San Antonio Sunday.

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Two Lady Cardinal student-athletes were selected for BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards. UofL's Nicole Youman (Field Hockey) and Sara Maude Juneau (golf) received the prestigious honors- a total of five Cardinals were named...giving Louisville the most student-athletes on the list out of all the BIG EAST schools. Joining Sara and Nicole were Chris Philpott (football), Michael Eaton (cross country) and Austen Childs (tennis).

Youman also had 19
assists her senior year.

Youman was the 2010 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and scored 17 goals her senior year. She was a four year starter for former Cardinal field hockey coach Pam Bustin and hails from Black Mountain, Australia.

Juneau was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year in her sport...golf...and it was the second year in a row she captured that honor. She led the BIG EAST with a 73.2 stroke average and was ranked in the nation's top 25 women's collegiate golfers by Golfstat. 

Congratulations to these five Cardinals who have combined successes on the field of play with academic excellence. The award is given to only one student per sport each year and academics, athletics and volunteer service to the community are the judging criteria.

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Former UofL track and field star Chinwe Okoro won the Nigerian shot put event, throwing her career best of 16.79m/55-1. Her toss qualified her for the 2011 All-African games. Okoro will also attempt to qualify in the discus today.

Okoro was part of the
Cardinal throwing team.
They were the best in
the BIG EAST

She was a valuable thrower for the Cardinals program a UofL and finished her senior season with All-American honors in the discus and shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

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Does it matter if college athletes
are gay or lesbian?

All across college campuses, student-athletes are leaving their high schools and hometowns to arrive on college campuses as incoming freshmen and begin classes. Whatever happened to a summer break? Sue Favor takes a look at the issue on her They're Playing Basketball blog. It's an interesting read and you can access her blog over on the infamous left side of our blog. Also, does sexual orientation matter when it comes to athletes? We've posted a poll over on the left side and feel free to leave your comments and opinions on it here in our comments section. ESPN recently did an article on it that you can read on Sue's blog.
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Field Hockey Cards fall to IU 3-2 in overtime

WELCOME TO HUMP DAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE

The Wednesday reports:

-#8 Field Hockey falls to Hoosiers

-Naismeth watch list for NCAAWBB

-Taurasi bares it for ESPN

The good news for UofL Field Hockey fans is that Pam Bustin's team climbed two spots in the national rankings to #8. The not so good news is the loss in Bloomington to IU in overtime...3-2.

Amber Thomas, pictured right, scored both of Louisville's goals...leading the Cards to a 2-1 advantage in the second half. Louisville played the Hoosiers close in the first half, allowing just a penalty corner score by Brenna Moeljadi. The Cardinal offense couldn't find the net in the first 45 minutes, though...despite a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.

Thomas got her first tally off a penalty corner when Hayley Turner had a shot rejected by IU goalie Alex Mann but Thomas collected the rebound and sent the ball into the net. Just a couple of minutes later, Thomas gave Louisville the lead on a penalty corner...deflecting a Tuli Lim attempt and knocking in into the back of the cage.

IU tied the game with no time remaining in regulation off of a penalty corner play resulting in Moeljadi's second score of the afternoon. Louisville missed two shots on goal in the overtime and took the loss when Corey Brautigam advanced to the circle and got one by Cards goalie Erin Conrad.

Louisville outshot the Hoosiers 19-10 in the match and held a 10-5 advantage in corners. Stepping up big for IU was Mann..who had 10 saves.

The Cards continue the road trip with a BIG EAST match against Rutgers on Oct. 9th. and then #3 Princeton on the 10th.

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30 women's college basketball players have been named to the Naismeth Watch List...which signifies the best in NCAA hoops. Surprisingly, junior UofL wing Monique Reid did not make the list. The Cards will face 12 of the 30 this year, and the BIG EAST has 5 players selected for the honor.

Danielle Adams, a former UofL target now at Texas A&M got selected and UK center Victoria Dunlap appears there also. UofL will face two selections when they begin the regular season in the KFC YUM! Center when Tennessee visits...Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Strickland. The twin towers of Xavier...Amber Harris and Ta'shia Phillips got picked as well. BIG EAST nominees Maya Moore, Tiffany Hayes (Connecticut), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Deirdre Naughton (DePaul) and Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown) will also face the Cards in the upcoming season.

The list is a good one but I'm still not convinced that Reid isn't one of the top 30 players in the nation. The good thing is that she's a junior and has all season to earn her way on the selection roster for her senior year.

The Lady Cards are busy at work with practice and CARDINAL COUPLE will be on campus Wednesday to watch practice and get a few quotes and photos. No...I'm not going to try and post up Asia Taylor and take her to the hoop. Mama didn't raise no fool....

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ESPN the Magazine hits the newsstands Friday and pictured above left is one of two possible cover photos that are being considered. Yes, it's Diana Taurasi, former Connecticut and current Phoenix WNBA player. Heck of a job there by the stylists and such to make Di look much different that she does when she's advancing the rock on the hardwood. The other cover being considered is a shot of Taurasi standing...holding a basketball that is strategically placed. The photo is by Sheryl Neilds, ESPN..and one would assume that she gets paid quite well for the work she does.

Publicity for the upcoming piece boasts that readers will see Taurasi in "a whole new light" after reading the article. This observer already does...just by seeing the photo. And, no...that isn't a spider crawling up her thigh...it's a tat. At least it isn't a caricature of Geno...

Amazing what can be done with lighting, hairstyling and makeup these days, isn't it?

Whatever happened to...

CARDINAL COUPLE recently received an e-mail from a reader asking whatever happened to former UofL Lady Cards guard Kiara Evans. Ask and ye shall be told...

Evans was one of the highly heraled recruits during Jeff Walz first year at the University of Louisville. She was a playmaking, high scoring guard out of Norcross, GA. Unfortunately, playing time never developed for her during her only year at Louisville and she saw an average of 7.4 minutes in 35 games for the Cards in the 2007-08 season.

Sometimes...freshmen look for opportunities to increase their playing time by transferring to a different school...and this was the case for Evans. She moved her skills to Long Island University and sat out the mandatory transfer year. She returned to the court for the 2009-10 season and saw about 30 minutes a game for the Blackbirds. Evans averaged 9.9 points per game for LIU, dished out 206 assists and nabbed 61 steals for Long Island. She has 2 years of elgibiliy left and is the returning 3rd leading scorer for the Northeast Conference team that went 22-10 last year.

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A furious fourth quarter rally helped the Atlanta Dream improve to 12-4 last night as they got by the Phoenix Mercury 94-88. The Dream defense looked pretty weak in the first half...but they got it together and used a 20-10 scoring advantage in the final stanza to get the "W".

Angel McCoughtry tossed in 18 points for the victors. Phoenix played without Diana Taurasi (back strain) but she still contributed in her own way...drawing a technical foul from the bench in the 3rd quarter for referee baiting.

Taurasi is debating whether to return to the WNBA after this season. She makes probably 10x the money playing in Europe that she does stateside and probably enjoys the thrill and excitement of playing EuroBall in Russia. I know I would...Her complaint is that playing in two leagues wears her and other dual league players down too much and causes injuries.

Way to "man up" and keep a stiff upper lip, "Di". Good luck in the land of borsch and vodka. Maybe you could just transfer your citizenship and play for them in the Olympics as well. It's hammer (and sickle) time...DT. Good luck, comrade...and be careful driving the ice coated roads over there after swilling too much Smirnoff.