Aces vs Storm --WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 DANA EVANS CONTRIBUTING TO ACES

We love to follow our Cardinals who make it to women's pro leagues, and surely there is no larger pro woman's league than the WNBA.

On the Las Vegas Aces, former Cardinal great Dana Evans is on the squad, and she is contributing...not as a starter for the 4-2 Aces, but a significant contributor off the bench. Last night, in the Aces Sunday 75-70 win over the Seattle Storm, Evans played 21 minutes and scored nine points and dished out three assists.

The 5'6" Evans entered the league as the 13th overall pick by the Dallas Wings back in 2021. She almost immediately was traded to the Chicago Sky, and was on the 2021 All-WNBA rookie team. Back in February of 2025, she was dealt to the Aces in exchange for the 16th and 22nd draft picks for Chicago in the 2025 WNBA Draft.  

The Aces picked up a player in Evans that was part of the Sky's 2021 WNBA Championship team....but,her playing time decreased in 2024, as she was demoted from a starter to a reserve and she negotiated a trade that sent her to Las Vegas. She played in 134 games in four years at Chicago and averaged 6.2 ppg. The Gary, IN native was a fn favorite with the Sky. .

With the Aces, Evans is a backup guard on a roster that has Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray starting at guards and features Aja Wilson at center/forward..

.Evans is one of three former Cards WBB stars playing in the WNBA this season. Myisha Hnes-Allen is at Dallas, and Emily Engstler plays for Washington. 

We wish all our Cards in the WNBA the best of success and hope they have great seasons..

paulie 

CARDS DEFEAT BC IN WOMEN'S SOCCER AND FIELD HOCKEY -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 TWO WINS ON FLOYD STREET SUNDAY

One of those rare afternoons yesterday where we had double women's sports action on Floyd Street on the University of Louisville campus. The Louisville women's soccer team started it off with a noon contest against Boston College in Lynn Stadium and 90 minutes later, Field Hockey entertained the Eagles in Trager Stadium. 

Two wins for the Cards in the matches! WSOC blanked the Boston visitors 2-0 and Field Hockey prevailed over the Beantown stick swingers 2-1. 

LOUISVILLE FIELD HOCKEY 2 - BOSTON COLLEGE 1 

The Cards were seeing their fourth win in four games against a Eagles squad that was playing in their season opener. It was Charlie van Oirschot delivering the shot that was the decider in Trager. The freshman midfielder from The Netherlands found herself in a position to shoot on a penalty corner attempt and took what could best be described as a softball player driving a line shot up the middle of the infield toward for a single. There was 1:07 left in the third quarter and the goal put the Cards up 2-1.

If van Oirschot gets bored this spring, she could probably spend a little time at the Cards' softball's Ulmer Stadium in the batter's box...it was a crisp hit from Charlie, while the ball was still in the air, that flew past Boston  College goalkeeper Jonna Kennedy into the net. 

You just don't see that everyday. 

Louisville started the scoring in the match near the end of the first quarter off a penalty corner when Meghan Schneider tallied her first goal of the season from a pass from Mercedes Pastor. That 1-0 lead held firm until almost halftime...BC tied it up when Elizabeth Warner got the ball inside the box and performed a nifty spin move to tap a shot past Cards goalkeeper Hollyn Barr with just 1:32 remaining in the first half.

The Cards and Eagles both had scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter but some strong defensive play by both squads kept the score 2-1 and Louisville moved to 4-0 on the season. 

If one were to take a look at the stat sheets without glancing at the final score, you might imagine that the point total would have been much higher for the Cards.  Louisville had 19 shots, compared to just four for Boston College, The Cards had 12 shots on goal, BC could manage just two. Louisville received nine penalty corner attempts, compared to four for the visitors.

Credit Boston College goalie Kennedy for some excellent save work Sunday afternoon. She recorded nine saves, Louisville goalkeeper Hollyn Barr was not tested nearly as much, recording one save. 

This one got a bit "chippy" at times...four yellow cards were dealt to the foes (two each) and both Erica Cooper and Mercedes Pastor were removed from the game late...fortunately, it didn't affect the final score.  

A nice win, though, and wonderful weekend for birthday gal Justine Sowry. She spoke with me after the contest and you can watch the post-game interview at the link below. 

LINK: COACH SOWRY POST-GAME COMMENTS

With the home slate of Cardinal Field Hockey now completed, the Cards take to the road for their final five matches. Next up, Louisville travels to Winston-Salem, NC to face Wake Forest for two contests -- the first scheduled for Saturday, October 10th. 

The Demon Deacons are 1-2 this season and most recently split a pair of games against Virginia last weekend, after an opening season loss to North Carolina. The matches are scheduled for noon on Saturday and Sunday. 

With a 4-0 record, one would have to think that the Cards are close to being the #1 team in the nation, if not the best performer in college women's Field Hockey.

Louisville is the lone undefeated team in the ACC.

CARDS WOMEN'S SOCCER KICKS PAST BOSTON COLLEGE 2-0 

Have we mentioned lately just how good Louisville Women's Soccer star Emina Ekic is? 

She scored one goal and provided the assist on the other UofL score yesterday, as the Cards improved to 3-1 with a shutout of Boston College. 

Louisville got their first goal in the 15th. minute of first half action when Ekic gained possession of the ball following a Eagles turnover and drove past her defender. Ekic sent a cross into the box that found Taylor Kerwin...and the senior mid-fielder popper a shot into the bottom right of the net to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. 

That completed the first half scoring. Louisville was, by far, the dominator offensively...outshooting the Eagles 7-1. 

The Cards added an insurance goal ten minutes into the second half. Following up on a Sarah Hernandez shot, Ekic took the deflected attempt and drove the rebound past the out-stretched Eagles goalkeeper to make it 2-0. 

It's not that the Eagles were silent the entire second half, they did out-shoot the Cards 8-3 in the final 45 minutes, but none of their shots were "on goal"...failing to test UofL goalkeeper Gabby Kouzelos...who recorded her third shutout of the 2020 season. 

Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes had this to say about the win: 

"I am very proud of our team's performance today. I thought we were intentional and thoughtful on both sides of the ball and overall it was a great team win!" 

Our women's soccer expert here at Cardinal Couple, Case Hoskins, who was in-attendance while I was covering Field Hockey, came up with this observation on Ferguson-Dayes' remarks...

"The Cards were intentional with their passes but they didn't always go where they wanted. Louisville spent a lot of time thinking about what to do on offense... that took too long at times and that resulted in giving the ball away"

Nevertheless the Cards are now 2-0 in Lynn Stadium and take to the highway for their next two matches. They'll begin in Charlottesville against Virginia on Thursday, October 15th and then travel south to Blacksburg for a Sunday, October 18th match against Virginia Tech. 

Special "thanks" and a job well done for Cardinal Couple photographer and columnist Jared Anderson who attended both WSOC and Field Hockey yesterday and provided the great pictures you see here today!  

ACES FALL TO SEATTLE

A tough loss Sunday for the Las Vegas Aces to the Seattle Storm in game two of the WNBA Finals...104-91. 

Seattle now leads the best-of-five finals format 2-0.

A high-scoring first half that Seattle built a 48-42 lead in. The Storm put the contest away in the fourth quarter with a 29-23 edge and could get their fourth WNBA crown Tuesday night in the "wubble" in Bradenton. 

The Storm put five players in double figures, and although Las Vegas held high-scoring guard Jewel Loyd to just eight points...a trio of Seattle players (Breanna Stewart, Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard) scored 20 points plus in the game. Sue Bird had a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists. 

For Vegas, A'ja Wilson led the way with 20 points and Angel McCoughtry and Emma Cannon ended up with 17 each. 

Have a meaningful Monday! 

paulie

  

Las Vegas Aces headed to WNBA Finals -- Mercedes Pastor named ACC FH Offensive POW -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

ASIA, A'JA AND ACES ASCEND 66-63

The Las Vegas Aces overcame a 13 point first quarter deficit last night to win Game Five in the WNBA Semifinals and they did it by employing two basic fundamentals of basketball: 

1) Keep the opponent from scoring. 2) Hitting your free throws. 

A 13-0 run in the third quarter gave Las Vegas the lead in a stretch where Cardinal Forever Angel McCoughtry and A'ja Wilson carried the offense and erased a 10-point deficit to regain the lead. 

Consider that Connecticut only scored 33 points in the final three quarters after putting up 30 in the first ten minutes. Beside Alyssa Thomas, the Sun couldn't do what almost basketball coach would put at the top of their keys to winning games -- putting the ball in the basket and preventing the other team from scoring. Give Thomas credit for battling to keep the Sun in the game, though, and she was doing it with a bad shoulder.  She never left the court in the 40 minutes and had 22 points for the Sun

But...give huge credit to A'ja Wilson. The Aces got her the ball in the final quarter, after McCoughtry carried the team for the first 30 minutes. Wilson did what she does best, go to the basket and create offense. Connecticut couldn't stop her, so they fouled her...and Wilson made nine out of ten free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. Wilson finished with 23 points and played all 40 minutes of the game.

"Playoff Angel" logged 32 minutes and sparked the offense in the comeback attempt in the first half with 15 of her 20 game points. She also hit two of her three three-point attempts. She also made six of her seven free throws. 

So, we are down to two teams. The top two seeds going into the playoffs and the best two teams in the WNBA will meet Friday for the finals. In a year of unpredictability and change, the WNBA ran true to form. The top two teams all season long will battle it out for the crown. 

Angel and A'ja vs. Sue and Stewie. This should be fun...

MERCEDES PASTOR NAMED ACC FIELD HOCKEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK. 

You can call her Mercedes the Magician. Call her "Mechi" if you want. But, you can also call her the ACC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week. 

The University of Louisville's Mercedes Pastor has been named the ACC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.
 
Pastor, a forward/midfielder from Buenos Aires, Argentina, helped the Cardinals to a 2-0 record with wins over visiting Duke in their opening weekend. The 2020 preseason All-ACC selection tallied a pair of goals in Saturday's conference game that keyed a 3-0 victory and dished out an assist to give Louisville a 1-0 lead in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Blue Devils. For the weekend, Pastor led the team's attack with eight shots, five of which landed on goal.
 
UofL (2-0, 1-0 ACC) returns to action this weekend with a pair of ACC contests. The Cardinals will play host to two-time defending national champion North Carolina Friday at 4:30 p.m. followed by a matchup with 2019 NCAA semifinalist Boston College Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be televised on the ACC Network.

 Have a wise Wednesday!

paulie

 

Soccer Schedule Change -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Women's Soccer Schedule Change

We have not gotten to the first home match of the year for Louisville women's soccer and we already have a schedule change.  Louisville women's soccer has moved their kickoff against Syracuse this Thursday to 4:00 p.m.

Although the reason for the time change is unknown there are plenty of guesses.  Most likely, the match has been moved up to accommodate TV.  The Cards and Orange are set to be on ACC Network.  There is always the chance it has something to do with travel arrangements for Syracuse or the forecast- a low of 44 degrees Thursday. The curfew has been lifted for Louisville, so it probably isn't that.  Still, TV accommodation makes the most sense. The match is on the ACC Network. 

From a viewing and photography stand-point, Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium can get dark during night games.  Lights can only do so much, but whether you are watching on TV, online, or looking at pictures, the image is noticeably clearer when there is plenty of sunlight, which there should be in this case.

The Orange opened their season with a 2-0 loss at Pitt.  The Panthers, who are already 3-0-0 on the year, had 12 shots on goal that match. The Cards come into the match 1-1, back from their Sunshine State soiree where they defeated Miami and lost to FSU. 

Paulie and I will be in attendance to cover this match.

Sun at Aces Game Five

The Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces are set for game five of the WNBA Semifinals tonight.  The top-seeded Aces have been in a surprisingly tight series with the #7-seed Sun, who had a losing record.

Angel McCoughtry was the difference in Game Four, scoring 29 points and helping the Aces force a final game.

Keep an eye on what the former Cardinal and 2009 #1 WNBA pick does as she hopes to make her first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013. ESPN 2 will have the contest. It's also available on Watch ESPN

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards FH defeat Duke again 3-1 -- Angel, Aces force game five -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS FH DOWN DUKE 3-1 ON SUNDAY

Louisville Field Hockey used a strong second half to power past Duke Sunday at Trager Stadium, getting a 3-1 win over the Blue Devils. 

The first half turned out to be a strong defensive battle between both squads, the Cards not getting on the board until just 38 seconds remained in first half action. Erica Cooper connected on an attempt from the top right of the circle after gathering in a missed Mercedes Pastor shot to put the Cards on the board. The lead was short-lived, though, as Duke got a score just 19 seconds later when Noor van de Laar drove home a tying shot from mid-circle. 

The half ended with that 1-1 tied. Duke held a 5-4 advantage on shots and had held Cardinal student-athlete Mercedes Pastor scoreless in the first 30 minutes, after a two-goal performance on Saturday. 

The Cards refocused to start the second half and started to take the offensive to the Blue Devils more aggressively. That increased offensive effort paid off just 2:26 into second half action when Louisville received a penalty corner attempt and Katie Schneider fired a shot on goal that was deflected by Duke goalkeeper Piper Hampsch. Schneider was there to collect the rebound though, and fire on goal again, this time finding the back of the net to put the Cards up 2-1. 

Four minutes later, the Cards drew another penalty corner and, this time, the other Schneider sister (Meghan) took the inbounds pass and fed Emilia Kaczmarczyk , who fired a reverse stick shot to the right side of the cage past the Duke defenders for the Cards third score. 

Louisville looked significantly better on both defense and offense in the second half, holding the Blue Devils scoreless and compiling a 12-5 shot advantage. Hollyn Barr had three saves in goalkeep and the Cards has a 9-2 advantage in penalty corners for the match.

Coach Sowry's post-game comments below:

POST GAME JUSTINE SOWRY 9-27-20 

Here is the Microsoft Teams audio and video of Coach and my post-game presser: 

Audio and Video of Coach Sowry's comments following 3-1 win over Duke

Of note...

-  All three Louisville scores came from substitutes, displaying the depth of the Louisville squad. 

- Cardinal midfield/forward Mattie Tabor suffered a knee injury in the first half and was escorted off the field. She left on crutches after the game and her knee was wrapping in ice. 

- The Cards bring in #1 UNC Friday, October 2nd for a scheduled 4:30 p.m. match. The Tar Heels won their opening match of the season 3-1 over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem back on Sept. 20th. 

(Thanks to Jared Anderson for the excellent Field Hockey photos from Saturday and Sunday!) 

ACES 84- SUN 75

Angel McCoughtry and her Las Vegas teammates are not ready to leave the wubble in Bradenton just yet.

Behind 29 points from the former Louisville women's basketball G.O.A.T, the Aces used a huge third quarter to build a lead on the Connecticut Sun and force a game five in the WNBA semifinals. 

McCoughtry magic was on display in the second half...she had 16 points in the pivotal third period and Las Vegas outscored Connecticut 28-16. That gave Las Vegas a 65-54 lead after three and they never relinquished it. 

To borrow a term from Cardinal Couple writer Case Hoskins...Playoff Angel was in the house. She saw 33 minutes and added six assists and five rebounds to her team-high 29 points. 

Angel went 13-22 from the floor to force a Tuesday 7:30 p.m. semifinal game. A'ja Wilson and Danielle Robinson both had 18 points for the Aces, who 48% from the hardwood. The winner of the upcoming game five will face Seattle, who eliminated Minnesota 92-71

Have a meaningful Monday!

paulie                                                                                                                                          

xxxxx 

Aces, Storm Win in WNBA Semis -- Same ol' Asia, brand new locale -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 VEGAS EVENS SERIES AT 1-1

Getting a 29-point effort from A'ja Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces evened up their semifinal, best-of-five series with the Connecticut Sun  last night with a 83-75 win. 

This contest was a back and forth affair for three quarters. The Aces used a dominating fourth quarter to get the win, outscoring the Sun 24-12 in the final period, to take the lead late -- after trailing 39-38 at the half and 63-59 after three quarters. 

Louisville's Angel McCoughtry contributed 11 points in 29 minutes -- adding three rebounds and three assists in a game that was called more closely by the referees after McCoughtry indicated, after Las Vegas's opening series loss, that it was more like a football game than hoops and that the Aces would come out and employ the same style if that's how the officials were going to call it. 

Las Vegas did not hit a three in the contest, going 0-4 from beyond the arc last night, but the Aces have thrived all season on pounding the paint and scoring inside. Wilson went 13-19 from the floor and took the fight to the Sun, who lost starter Alyssa Thomas five minutes into the contest with a shoulder injury.

McCoughtry hit all five of her free throw attempts for Las Vegas. 

The two teams will play game three Thursday night. 

                                             

                                              **************************

In the nightcap, Seattle held on against Minnesota to get a 88-86 win to take a 1-0 lead in the other WNBA semifinal. It was Alyshia Clark hitting a buzzer-beater layup for the Storm to get the win. The Storm cleared COVID testing after the originally schedule opener between the two was postponed because of inconclusive testing for several Storm players.

Minnesota was with out "Big Syl" -- Sylvia Fowles -- who sat out due to a calf injury. Without Fowles on the court, Seattle had a 36-29 rebounding edge. 

SHE'S BACK

Cardinal Couple favorite and former UofL women's basketball great Asia Taylor is back on the hardwood. but she's not in Australia or in the WNBA wubble -- It's a new venue for A-Tayy. She's part of the Clarinos (Spain) roster in the EuroBasketball league. 

Clarinos had their first game of the schedule against Gran Canaria (on the Canary Islands) Monday night, and Taylor logged 22 minutes while scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds in an overtime win -- 103-102. 

We wish Asia a ton of luck and big numbers in this new environment for her! 

paulie                                                                                                                                          xxxxx. 

CARDS WSOC TAKES TOUGH LOSS TO FSU 1-0 -- LAS VEGAS ACES LOSE TO CONNECTICUT -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 GABBY KOUZELOS GETS A CAREER HIGH NINE SAVES IN 1-0 LOSS TO FSU. 

Louisville women's soccer goalkeeper Gabby Kouzelos recorded nine saves against ACC powerhouse Florida State but the Cards fell 1-0 in Tallahassee Sunday afternoon. 

Louisville battled the Seminoles to a scoreless first half and Kouzelos was kept quite busy defensing the net -- with the home-standing squad taking eight shots (four on goal) but the scoreboard stayed at 0-0 due to the efforts of Kouzelos and the Cardinal's defense. The Cards nearly got a goal in the 35th minute of action in the first half. The Cards were awarded a free kick after Delaney Snyder was fouled. Emina Ekic placed the free kick near the left side of the net, Sarah Hernandez attempted a header toward the net but the ball was saved in the top left corner by FSU net-tender Cristina Roque. 

The 'Noles scored the lone goal of the match in the second half  about 15 minutes into the second half went Kouzelos went out of the net area to cover an FSU attempt, but the ball got loose after Kouzelos blocked the initial shot and FSU's Leilanni Nesbeth was there to drive it into the net. 

LINK:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1307748753013698560

FSU outshot the Cards 26-2 in the match and had a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal.

With the loss, the Cards drop to 1-1 on the season. Louisville returns home to face Syracuse Thursday at Lynn Stadium. 

The offensive attack chances weren't there for the Cards most of the contest but it was still a strong effort by the Cards as a whole against a FSU squad that had downed Duke 5-0 to open the season. 

Hats off to Kouzelos, who recorded a career high with the nine stops. 

ACES GET DEALT A "L" BY THE SUN

 

The Connecticut Sun were the #7 seed coming into the eight-team WNBA playoffs, but turned up the defense on Las Vegas yesterday afternoon and took a 87-62 win to open the best of five semi-finals. 

The Sun got a huge afternoon from Jasmine Thomas, former Duke star, who had 31 points in what could be called a rout. Connecticut took a 14-10 first quarter lead, built that to 36-25 halftime advantage and outscored the Aces 51-37 in the second half. 

Louisville's Angel McCoughtry played 16 minutes for Las Vegas and had six points and three rebounds. A'ja Wilson had 19 points and nine rebounds for Las Vegas. 

An amazing turnaround for the Sun, who lost their first five games of the season. They lead the series 1-0 now with game two scheduled for Tuesday night.

                                               *******************************

The second game of the scheduled semifinals double-header (Seattle vs. Minnesota) was postponed due to inconclusive COVID-19 testing. The Seattle squad was put into isolation shortly before the contest.

Players will be re-tested and the game will be rescheduled at a date to be announced. The Minnesota Lynx, who were not affected by the virus, were already in the Bradenton "wubble" warming up for the contest when the news reached them. 

paulie 

WNBA RECAP -- MYISHA KEEPS MYSTICS ALIVE -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 MYISHA GOES FOR 30 IN MYSTICS WIN

Amidst all the Thursday night football options, Myisha Hines-Allen decided to take over the WNBA last night and her 30-point effort led the Washington Mystics to a 80 -72 win over the LA Sparks. 

I don't think there is much doubt she is the most improved player in the WNBA this season and her 30-point, eight rebound effort in 35 minutes kept the Mystics in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA. 

It was Myisha sinking threes, going coast-to-coast for buckets and pounding in the paint for scores in the Washington win. Trailing 45-39 at the half to the Sparks, Hines-Allen and her team-mates unleashed a 23-12 third-quarter on the L.A. squad and took a 62-57 lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

For Washington, it pretty much breaks down to this:  with two games left to play in the regular season, two wins would have them in the playoffs, unless the Dallas Wings win their final two games. Dallas holds the tie-breaker between the two, having won both previous matches. 

Washington plays the New York Liberty on Saturday and then Atlanta on Sunday. It should be noted that Atlanta is looking to capture that final playoff spot also and is one game back of Dallas and Washington at 6-14. The Wings finish with Chicago tonight and the New York Liberty Sunday. 

                                                 *****

Speaking of the Liberty, the New York squad gave the Indiana Fever all they wanted for three quarters last night but could not seal the deal in the fourth -- losing 85-75.  

This one was tied 62-62 after three quarters.  

Jazmine Jones was returned to the lineup (maybe Walt Hopkins figured out that another almost-30 point loss wouldn't be much fun) and Jaz responded with nine points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Kylee Shook saw nine minutes and had two points, that ankle most likely still a bit sore.

New York has the opportunity to be a spoiler in their final two games of the year -- facing Washington Saturday and Dallas Sunday. A win for New York over either or both opponents could put a dent in Washington or Dallas' playoff hopes. 

                                                  *****

Angel and the Aces entertained Minnesota last night and the Lynx kept it interesting for a half before Las Vegas tossed a 25-15 third quarter at them and went on to win 104-89.

Angel McCoughtry had 22 points and eight rebounds in just 17 minutes for the Aces, who remain a game back of league leading Seattle. 

Las Vegas could take the regular season championship if they win their final two games and get the #1 seed in he playoffs. The task, though, is formidable -- with Los Angeles on Saturday and Seattle on Sunday. 

19 YEARS AGO

Let us never forget that 19 years ago, on September 11th., our nation was shocked and attacked during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Do you remember where you were? 

I was working and had stopped into a pharmacy to get a ink-pen, of all things, mine had ended up in the hands of the previous client I had visited. I walked in and noticed several people gathered around the checkout counter watching a portable TV. 

(Yes, friends...that was when were still able to get television without cable, dishes or internet)

The first plane had already crashed into the World Trade Center and, as I watched, a second came along and did the same to the remaining tower. It was 9:00 a.m. when I entered, 9:04 when the second attack hit and I never did get that ink pen. Instead, I decided I was going home to watch the rest of the coverage. I remember thinking while I was driving home, listening to the radio coverage...how could this happen, was it over? and why... 

2977 lost their lives. Remember them today, and every day. 

 

paulie 

 

MYSTICS FALL DESPITE MYISHA'S DOUBLE DOUBLE -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CONNECTICUT 76 - WASHINGTON 63

It has been a struggle for the Washington Mystics to grab "W"'s  as we leave August and roll into September. Washington is 1-9 in their last ten games and took another one on the chin yesterday when short-handed Connecticut (they had just seven players available for the game) won every quarter in the 13-point victory.

Myisha Hines-Allen continues to impress, though, and yesterday was another shining example of how she's become a leader on the 2020 Mystics roster. She scored 12 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and had six assists in 30 minutes for Washington. 

The "Myisha Mystics" are 4-11, though, and playoff hopes are starting to look pretty dim for her and her teammates. The WNBA takes the top eight teams in the standings for the playoffs and Washington is in 10th place, a game and a half back of eighth-place Dallas (6-10). 

Here hoping the Mystics can recover the winning ways that started the season for them and make a late push to gain playoff eligibility. 

No former Cardinals will be in action tonight (Monday)....as Chicago takes on Indy in the early game and Los Angeles battles Minnesota in the nightcap at the  "wubble". 

SCENARIOS

Current standings have it pretty tight at the top of the league, with Seattle (13-3), Las Vegas (12-3) and Los Angeles (12-3. These three have already clinched playoff berths.

Right behind them are Minnesota (10-5) and Chicago (10-6). The Phoenix Mercury are at 9-7 and on a three-game win streak....so the top six spots have pulled away from the bottom half of the league. 

Connecticut (7-9) holds seventh spot and then Dallas. 

The bottom four in the league (Indiana 5-10), Washington (4-11), Atlanta (3-13) and New York (2-13) have work to do. From a Cardinal player view, right now, only Angel McCoughtry would advance to the playoffs. 

This year, only 22 regular season games per team are being played. Theoretically, if the New York Liberty got "hot" and won out -- they'd be 9-13 and might be eligible for a first round playoff berth. We can only hope. I'd like to see Jaz and Kylee in the playoffs, but, they've been impressive in their rookie seasons regardless of the outcome. 

How do the playoffs work?

The first two rounds are single-elimination games...meaning seeds #1 and #2 receive byes to the semis and #3 and #4 receive byes to the second round. If the playoffs were to start today, the scenario would look like:

FIRST ROUND:  Single elimination game.

#5 Chicago vs #8 Dallas

#6 Phoenix vs #7 Connecticut

(It's interesting to note that six of the top eight from 2019 are still playoff bound)..  

SECOND ROUND:  Single elimination game

Winner of Chicago vs. Dallas plays Minnesota

Winner of Phoenix vs Connecticut plays Los Angeles  

It is, obviously, too early to set the "final eight" in stone and tables could turn dramatically for any or all of the nine teams fighting to automatically qualify. 

Have a meaningful Monday and it's Derby Week (I know, it seems strange to say that as we head into September). Mask up, keep washing and sanitizing if you're "out and about" and be kind. 

paulie

LIBERTY AND ACES GET WINS -- DUKE NEWS -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 LIBERTY UPSET SKY

The New York Liberty have been looking better lately and last night their "team play, take the three" style paid off with a 101-99 win over the Chicago Sky. Breaking a seven-game losing streak, New York was close at the half, trailing just 49-46 and used a huge third quarter to take the lead. NYL outscored Chicago 32-26 in the third and held on at the end to get the win. 

Former Louisville WBB great Jazmine Jones had another nice outing for New York with nine points, three rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes. She's getting more accustom to playing at the point-guard spot and had a nifty steal in the contest to help the Liberty get the win. Kylee Shook contributed eight points, three grabs and had an assist for New York. FIve players reached double figures for Walt Hopkins team -- led by Amanda Zahui B with 22. 

This one came down to the wire, Chicago tying it in the fourth at 99-99 and Layshia Clarendon hitting two free throws with less than a second remaining to improve New York to 2-12 on the season. With the loss, Chicago drops to 10-5. 

LAS VEGAS 96 - DALLAS 92

The Las Vegas Aces are now 11-3 after holding off the Dallas Wings 96-93. Angel McCoughtry's squad jumped out to a 52-43 lead at the half and withstood a late Wings run to hold on the second place in the league. 

McCoughtry had a good evening in limited playing time with 12 points in 16 minutes. She went 3-3 from the floor and 6-7 at the line for the Aces.

The Aces used the strong game of A'ja Wilson (26 points) to dominate the inside and get this "W". Las Vegas took only six three-pointers in the contest, hitting two -- while the Wings went 15-40 from the deep. 

DUKE SAYS NO TO FANS 

Duke University became the second ACC school to put a ban on fans to start the fall athletic season. Yesterday's announcement puts the Blue Devils in the "empty bleachers" category with Syracuse. 

I hate to see the move, but I fully understand it. What would normally be big tickets events on both campuses ultimately increases the risk and spread of COVID-19.  

I have the feeling that we're just beginning to see the dominoes fall in the ACC. Louisville submitted a plan drastically reducing attendance for football and Governor Andy Beshear didn't seem too thrilled with the numbers, remarking that the Miami Dolphins were bring in less than the 18,000 the Cards proposed. And, NFL squads are beginning to announce no attendance for the first couple of weeks at their contests. 

Let's face it. Attending football as a fan while being social distanced and wearing a mask just doesn't seem like things that go together well. Add alcohol and and hours of tailgating into the mix and you're coming up with a dangerous scenario. 

True, these probably wouldn't be as problematic situations at, let's say, a field hockey or soccer match on a college campus, but, why take the chance? These are college student-athletes, not paid professionals.

If the intent is to keep the student-athlete safe and competitive, all precautions are going on (mostly) on campus to ensure their safety and protection from COVID, why throw all that out the window by introducing fans into the scenario?

I get it, we all want sports and we all want to watch our favorites compete. It is really going to permanently destroy anyone's fandom and fervor, though, if you have to do it via TV, internet, radio or other devices for a short while? I think that's better than cancelling things all-together, like some Power 5 conferences have done.

Sadly, it's also most likely going to affect what we do here at Cardinal Couple as far as "on-the-site, live game coverage" and post-game interviews. We haven't officially received the word on that yet, but, we're willing to "take one for the team" if we're asked to. 

This, of course, puts the direct onus on the athletes now. Will they follow the protocols, stay away from campus parties?  I certainly hope they would. Weighing the chance to compete against the chance to socialize with pals has become a new and important decision in the life of the student-athlete, and any college student, in 2020. 

Let 'em play. We'll stay away, if that's what you say. So they can stay....healthy. 

paulie 

VOLLEYBALL ADDS MORGAN -- WNBA RECAP -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 TAYLOR MORGAN JOINS VOLLEYBALL STAFF

Taylor Morgan, who was a key player on the University of Minnesota's Final four team last season, has joined the UofL Volleyball staff as an assistant coach.

"We are thrilled to add Taylor to the staff," Dani Busboom Kelly commented. "Clearly she played at a very high level, but what stood out is her character is on par with her talent. She is a great example for our young women and will make a fantastic coach someday. there is no doubt she will make an immediate difference in our program." 

Morgan was a 6'0" middle blocker for the Gophers and was a second team Big 10 selection and All-Region Honorable Mention he senior year. She had six blocks for the Gophers last season in the match that eliminated Louisville from the NCAA Tournament 3-0 in the "great Eight" NCAA Regional finals in Austin, TX. on Dec. 14th. 2019

She had 514 kills and 283 blocks in her career at Minnesota. Morgan hails from Blaine, MN, a suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. 

Louisville Volleyball is scheduled to start the 2020 season Sept. 16th against Kentucky.

CARDS WSOC CALLIE MCKINNEY TO BELLARMINE

Callie McKinney was an excellent mid-fielder for the Louisville women's soccer squad during her four years as a Cardinal. Callie was a starter all four years at Louisville. She's taken those skills and parlayed them into a coaching career. 

The Knights announced last night that McKinney has joined the staff as a graduate assistant. 

Bellarmine will compete (sooner or later) in Division I women's soccer and is in the A Sun Conference. Glad to see that Callie will still be around "the Ville" - and hope she can do wonderful things as a part of head coach Chris Tinius' staff! 

WNBA SCORES

Three out of the four UofL WBB Cardinals in "the wubble" were in action last night.

CHICAGO SKY 84 -- LAS VEGAS 82

A heart-breaking loss for Angel and the Aces last night. With 13 seconds to go, Chicago ran a nifty out-of-bounds double screen that eventually got Azura Stevens wide open under the basket and she sank the layup to sink Las Vegas. 

Angel McCoughtry led the Aces with 17 points. She was one of five double-digit scorer for the Aces, who are now 8-3. McCoughtry added five rebounds in 21 minutes of play. 

Las Vegas led 25-15 after one quarter but Chicago (8-4) roared back in the second half and grabbed a nine-point lead. Vegas was able to tie it late, but the Sky managed to get their second win in a row.

SEATTLE 105 - NEW YORK 64

A tough night for the New York Liberty against league-leading Seattle last night. The Storm jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had things well in control by the half, leading 61-28.

For New York (1-10) Jazmine Jones had 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.  Kylee Shook saw 18 minutes and had four points and six rebounds. 

The struggling Liberty have lost their last five games in a row.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, mask up, keep your distance and sanitize and wash.

paulie 

All Four Cardinal WBB WNBA Players Tonight -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ANGEL, MYISHA, JAZ AND KYLEE

One of those rare nights tonight where we get to see all four of the Cardinal WBB WNBA professionals on the court on the same evening. 

Beginning at 7 p.m., it'll be Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook looking for their first win in the WNBA for the New York Liberty against a Minnesota Lynx squad that has started well with a 3-1 record.

Let's face it, New York has some shoes to fill without rookie Sabrina Ionescu at point. Whether Layshia Clarendon is the answer at point remains to be seen. Kia Nurse can score, she proved that against the Mercury with 17 points, but just one assist raises a few questions. 

Jazmine Jones is a talented, athletic guard but lacks the point guard experience, having played with some great ones at Louisville and never having to be the point. It might be a long night for the Liberty. I'd like to see a few more minutes for Kylee tonight and see if that three-point shot she had at Louisville is still an effective weapon. 

NBA TV will show this contest

Then, at 8 p.m., we get a special bonus when it's Angel McCoughtry and her Las Vegas Aces agains Myisha Hines Allen and her Washington Mystics. 

A win for Myisha (named the Player of the Week for the WNBA) and her squad would tie them for first place in the standings. They'll have a tough task against the potent duo of Angel an A'ja on the Mystics, though and Ariel Atkins has been filling up the bucket, too for DC. 

ESPN2 will show the contest.

In "news of the weird", what in the wide world of sports is going on in Atlanta? Is team owner and U.S. senator appointee Kelly Loeffler deliberately trying to upset an entire league and its fan base? 

Last night, teams were sporting shirts urging votes for Loeffler's November opponent Raphael Warnock. This one's just getting started, friends. 

We still have five months left in 2020. Grab your popcorn and have a seat.

WNBA STANDINGS

Chicago        4-1

Seattle          4-1

Washington  3-1

Minnesota    3-1

Phoenix        3-2

Las Vegas    2-2

Los Angeles 2-2

Indiana         2-2

Dallas           2-2

Atlanta         2-3

New York      0-4

Connecticut  0-5

REQUESTED

I've had several requests for the video of the UofL WBB players in practice that was made mention of in Walz's latest teleconference. Here ya go, link below: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0nnpop80hno67ck/Presser%20August%203.mp4?dl=0 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie

xxxxx

 

WINS AND LOSSES IN THE WUBBLE -- WALZ TELECONFERENCE TODAY AT 1:30 -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ACES WIN, LIBERTY LOSE IN WNBA ACTION

An up and down Sunday for fans of the University of Louisville women's basketball players participating in WNBA action Sunday. 

Action started with the winless New York Liberty facing Phoenix. A tough start for New York, with the shots not falling early and the Liberty digging a hole for themselves in the first half -- trailing by as many as 16 and ending first half action on the short end of a 41-27 contest. 

New York came out determined to make a contest of it, though, to start the second half and went on a 18-3 third quarter run to cut the Phoenix lead to two at 55-53 after an Amanda Zahui B three with about three minutes left in the quarter. 

Phoenix, however was able to regroup and rolled off 17 0f the next 19 points to build a 72-55 lead. In the fourth quarter, maybe the fatigue factor and most certainly poor shooting for New York proved disastrous. Phoenix dominated the final quarter 34-11 and took the contest 96-67. 

Cardinal Jazmine Jones came off the bench to log 21 minutes for the Liberty and scored three points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and dished pout four assists. Kylee Shook saw 14 minutes in a reserve role and produced seven points, five rebounds and had an assist. 

Shooting woes for New York, playing their first full game without Sabrina Ionescu were a key culprit in the loss -- the Liberty went just 18-73 from the floor (24.7%) and 5-35 from three-point range (14.3%) and those numbers aren't going to win a team any games. 

**************************************************************

In the nightcap, Angel McCoughtry and the Las Vegas Aces had strong 1st and 3rd quarters and that was enough to get by the Dallas Wings 79-70. 

A relatively quiet night for Angel, she played just 15 minutes as a starter and was good for four points, four rebounds and three assists. Her teammates had five in double figures, though, with A'ja Wilson leading the way with 19 points. 

Las Vegas jumped out to an early 9-0 lead and never trailed in the contest. 

A showdown awaits Wednesday for the Aces (2-2) on Wednesday when they take on Washington (3-1) at 5 p.m. 

WALZ TELECONFERENCE TODAY AT 1:30

Jeff Walz will update the media today at 1:30 with news on the 2020-21 University of Louisville women's basketball squad and their summer workouts. 

We'll monitor the teleconference and Jared Anderson will have a full report on it, plus a listening link, in his Tuesday column. 

Have a meaningful Monday,

paulie

xxxxx