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 

Four former Cards Left on 2024 WNBA rosters. -- Wednesday Cardinal Couple

 Hines-Allen, Engstler, Evans and Dixon remain on WNBA rosters 

We've always tried to keep up with the former Louisville Cardinals who make it to the WNBA and as we look at most teams having completed over two dozen games this season, we also see four Cards still on rosters. Our columnist Jeff McAdams gave you his look at the Cards in th "W" in Sunday' s write...I had already planned to do the same today, and just kept my original write to present today, instead of going for a new subject. 

The Washngton Mystics have half of Louisville's WNBA contingent on their roster with Myisha Hines-Allen and Emily Engstler. Hines-Allen has been in the league since 2018 and serves as a reserve on this year's Mystics squad. She has the highest shooting perentage on the squad at 52.1% In 22 games for the Mystics, she is averaging 8.4 ppg, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. 

Engstler was the fourth pick in the 2022 by the Indiana Fever but was waived and spent time aat Minnesota before the Mystics acquired her. She also comes off the bench, and is averaging 4.7 points per game and 3.7 rebounds. 

Washington is in sixth (last) place in the WNBA's Eastern Division with a 6-19 record as of this writing. 

Dana Evans plays for the Chicago Sky and is in her fourth year in the league. She's a part time starter at Chicago (12 of 22 games so far) She averages 8.3 p.p.g. a game and 3.2 assists. Originally drafted by Dallas, she played a half dozen games in "Big D" before getting traded to the Sky in the 2021 season. . 

The Sky are currently in 4th place at 9-14 in the Eastern Division. 

Liz Dixon is on the Phoenix Mercury team. She went undrafted in 2023 but did play for the Connecticut Sun and the Mercury in 2023. The Mercury did waive her this season on July 2nd, but was brought back almost immediately to be a reserve on the squad with a seven-day contract. She is averaging 1,8 p.p.g. and 2.4 rebounds. . 

Phoenix is 13-12 on the season, good for fourth place in the league's Western Division.  

We, here at Cardinal Couple, wish all out Cards pros the best of luck the rest of the way and hope they can etch out long careers in the "W". 

paulie

 

Four Cards on WNBA Rosters -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Mercury, Sky and Mystics have UofL WBB alumnae on rosters. 

With the WNBA scheduled to start Tuesday., let's look at the Louisville Cards WBB players.that are on the teqam rosters in the league.  

Liz Dixon --  Phoenix Mercury. Dixon was a recent addition to the Phoenix squad,brought back on a training game contract. She did play in 10 games with the Mercury back in 2023 and was re-signed again this year, to replace Charisma Osbourne.  She averages 5.6 points per game, and 4.4 rebounds a contest. 

Dana Evans -- Chicago Sky. Dana returs to the Sky this year, her third season in the WNBA. The sharpshooting guard should be an essential part of a roster that had seven guards most recently listed. Here is an interview with her, done on May 10th.  DANA EVANS INTERVIEW

Emily Engstler --  Washington Mystics. Engstler begins her second year in the league. She was originally drafted by Indiana last year. She'l averaged 1.8 points per game last year and 0.6mrebounds. Here is a brief spotlight on her....EMILY ENGSTLER

Myisha Hines-Allen -- Washington Mystics. Hines-Allen enters her sixth season in the WNBA,and was drafted back in 2018, She vaerages 5.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.  The Mystics list only four forwards on their roster currently, so we like her chances to see a starting role and a lot of court time. 

We wish all our "Cardinals Forever" the best of luck this season and we're already ready for a little hoops this spring...

paulie. . 

Catching Up With WNBA Cards -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

FOUR CARDS CURRENTLY IN WNBA

As we roll into June, the WNBA starts to heat up in action and it's a good time to take a look at how the four Cards WBB former greats are doing in the "the W". 

The four currently donning WNBA uniforms are Asia "AD" Durr (New York), Emily Engstler (Indiana) Dana Evans (Chicago) and Myisha Hines-Allen (Washington). It's interesting to note that all four play in the Eastern Division of the WNBA . 

ASIA "A.D." DURR

Asia began her WNBA time in 2019 with the Liberty, but was sidelined for two seasons with COVID before returning this season. She's a guard on the Liberty roster, who are 1-7 so far this season. Durr has played in seven games so far, as a back=up guard, and averages about 8.3 minutes a contest. As of 5/31, she's scored nine points in those seven games (1.3 a contest). 

One has to feel that once she gets back in rhythm after the two-year layoff because of COVID, her minutes and scoring will go up. She did average 9.7 ppg a game in her rookie season and almost 27 points a game. We all remember how she could take over a game at Louisville and she and Sabrina Ionescu have the potential to be a young, dynamic and high scoring duo for a New York team that hasn't shown much this season

EMILY ENGSTLER. 

The rookie has done some impressive things with the Indiana Fever, and Jeff Walz told us she would (in the WNBA) shortly after she arrived in Louisville for her final collegiate season. She's averaging 7.4 points and 7.3 rebounds for a Fever team that is 3-7 on the season. Engstler sees about 20 minutes a game for the Fever and had 13 points and nine rebounds in the Indiana win over L.A. 

You could tell she was all about te hard work when she got to Louisville and that desire and toughness goes a long way in "the W". We see her being a league fixture for many years in the bigs. 

 

MYISHA HINES-ALLEN

Going into her 5th season in the league, Myisha has proven to be a hard-nosed, rebound grabbing and point-scoring forward for the Washington Mystics. She's averaging 5.9 ppg and 4.6 rebounds a game for the 6-3 Mystics this season and sees about 18 minutes a game. 

Maybe her numbers were a little higher when Elena Della Donne was out, but Myisha has always been a team player, willing to do whatever her team needed her to do, and never taking a play or minute off when on the court.

That 2017-18 Louisville WBB squad with Asia, Myisha and Dana all on the roster is probably my favorite of all time -- 36-3 overall, a Final Four Trip to Columbus, and ACC Regular Season and Tournament champs. Myisha was the enforcer and the heart of that squad and I still believe to this day that McCowan fouled Myisha at the end of regulation. 

DANA EVANS

In her second season in the WNBA, Dana Evans has become a very solid and contributing  guard for the Chicago Sky (4-3}. She sees 20.3 ppg a night for the Sky and averages 9.7 points per game. 

Dana has that incredible three-point range and somehow finds her way to the basket against much taller players in the league, Evans has no fear when it comes to taking on a tough guarding assignment, either, and compliments well with the Sky's guards Vandersloot and Quigley. 

I can see Dana playing a long time in the league and being a success. 

Last night in WNBA action, three of the four mentioned above were in action. The Fever vs Mystics had Hines-Allen get two points, three assists and six rebounds in 15 minutes -- Engstler saw 24 minutes for Indiana and had six points, six boards and three assists.. Washington won 87-75.

For Chicago, Dana Evans played 10 minutes, and had six points, an assist and a rebound in the Sky's 73-70 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury

Here's also hoping Jaz Jones and Angel McCoughtry find their way back to the WNBA. They're too excellent players that would be a benefit to a lot of rosters out there. We also hope Kylee Shook returns after her year's hiatus. 

paulie

WNBA Update -- Alexia Mobley In Town -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CARDINALS COMPETING WELL IN WNBA EASTERN DIVISION

Depending on the squad, the WNBA teams are 16-20 game into their 2021 schedule.  For our interests here at Cardinal Couple, we're keeping an eye on those former Cards great that are active currently in the league. Right now, that's currently Dana Evans, Myisha Hines-Allen, Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook. 

Dana Evans is shining along with the Chicago Sky and the Sky have the fourth best record in the league at 10-9, along with the New York Liberty. Her playing time isn't significant so far, but, she is averaging 2.3 points a game (in 18 games) 0.8 assists a contest and is shooting 94% from the free throw line.  She saw three minutes in the Sky's last outing -- a 100-91 loss to her old team, the Dallas Wings. Dana had no points, assists or rebounds. 

Myisha Hines-Hines is currently out resting a patella tendon for the Washington Mystics and did not play in their last game -- a 82-79 loss to the Liberty on Saturday.. She's logged eight games for the Mystics this 2020-21 season, and had averaged 14.0 points-per-game, 2.3 assists and 7.1 rebounds for D.C. The Mystics are 7-10 in the league, which is fourth in the Eastern Division and would not make the WNBA Playoffs as of now.  They have been banged-up pretty badly with injuries, in their defense, using only six players in a few of their most recent games. They play against Saturday, at Chicago 

Kylee Shook has been a regular starter for the New York Liberty and is averaging 6.1 pts. in 19 games. She's averaging 5.3 rebounds a game, second best on the Liberty. Kylee sees about 22 minutes a contest for the 10-9 Liberty.  In a 99-96 win over Dallas on Monday she had eight rebounds, five points and one assist. 

Jazmine Jones also plays for the Libs and averages 7.1 ppg and 2.8 rpg. She sees about 18 minutes an affair and had 16 points and two rebounds against Dallas. It was a good weekend for Jaz, she also had 17 points Saturday in a win over the Mystics and had some pretty dramatic actions and antics in that game, as Jeff highlighted in his Sunday article. 

We hope to see our Cardinals continue the good work and, in Myisha's case, get back on the court soon. It would be great to see all three teams mentioned here with Cardinals on them make the WNBA Playoffs!  We also hope that a fifth Cardinal (in Angel McCoughtry) is recovering nicely from her knee injury earlier this season -- and is able to return next season. Her Aces are 14-4 in the league, which is tied with the Seattle Storm for the best record in the WNBA. 

ALEXIA MOBLEY IN TOWN FOR TFN RUN FOR THE ROSES

I get a lot of inquires about 2022 Cardinals commit Alexia Mobley and can tell you that she is in Louisville for the July 5-8 Run for the Roses Classic with her Cincinnati Angels squad. 

I was able to find a Twitter clip of her in action at the event (being held at the KEC in Louisville) and the word is she's looking good and the Angels are a very impressive and talented squad. 

Alexia's Clip:  

Mobley at Run For Roses

The event obviously draws a ton of college coaches and i did notice that there were media passes, so I thought I'd see if I could get one for Thursday. We'll see how that goes. 

Still no definitive work on whether she'll be on campus for any portion of the 2021-22 season, as far as I know. Try as I might, I was unable to find any stats on how and the Cincinnati Angels were doing here during their stays. I'll see if the media request brings about any type of numbers. Truth be told, I didn't realize the Tournament was taking place until yesterday. 

Here's hoping she plays well while here. She's fun to follow on Twitter, You might check her out at @AlexiaMobley23  

have a wonderful wednesday

paulie

Academic accolades -- Olympic/Former Cards News; FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL

Welcome to the holiday weekend, finally! Was yesterday not the Monday-est Thursday ever?? 

There is not a whole lot of UofL athletics scores or events to report on in mid-June.  The academic achievements for each program are rolling in and are most certainly wonderful for the programs ...but aren't the most thrilling topic for our readers to read about so I'll just give the shout out to the players who excelled in the classroom.

Academic Achievements

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team. We've covered Field Hockey and Lacrosse academic excellence in earlier articles this week. Some others to note: 

-- University of Louisville women's golfers Lauren Hartlage and Hana Ryskova were named to the All-ACC Women's Golf Academic Team, the league announced on Thursday.

-- Volleyball's Amaya Tillman, Anna Stevenson, Aiko Jones, Tori Dilfer and Anna DeBeer join the best of the ACC scholar-athletes. ACC Champion Louisville and Notre Dame lead the league with five players each on the academic team.

Global Cards

The University of Louisville sent two swimmers to the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Mallory Comerford turned in a 54.43 in the semifinals of the 100M freestyle and teammate Kelsi Dahlia posted a time of 54.46. Olivia Smoliga and Natalie Hinds tied for the top two spots with a time of 53.55.

Dahlia earned her slot in the semifinals of the 100M Freestyle after posting a 54.96 at her morning swim. Comerford made the cut as well with 54.8. Other prelim swims in this event included Gabi Albiero who posted a time of 55.86, Casey Fanz who went 56.29 and Tristen Ulett, who turned in a 56.37.

In the prelims of the 200 breaststroke this morning, Adeline Farrington stopped the clock at 2:35.12 and Morgan Friesen posted a time of 2:31.87.

Former Cards news

Let me start this segment with the reminder that we desire to share the *joy and excitement* of UofL women's athletics here at Cardinal Couple.  I realize that bad things do happen to and by people who come through the program.. and yes, I did see the comment from yesterday's post asking why the story of former Cardinal great, Shoni Schimmel wasn't mentioned. 

After group discussion on the news, we decided to omit sharing the story at the time.  I will, however, l share a snip of the info below as it is news to report. Many other sources have covered this incident in about the same matter.  

It is important to note that we at Cardinal Couple are not excited about this story and we can all agree that we hope Shoni gets the help she needs.  We will monitor the story as the facts unfold. 

PENDLETON — Former WNBA All-Star Game MVP and Louisville All-American guard Shoni Schimmel is being held in the Umatilla County jail on multiple charges, including felony assault and criminal mischief.

Schimmel, 29, was arrested early Monday and remained in the Umatilla County jail on $48,750 bail. The Sheriff’s Office website also lists several misdemeanor charges including domestic abuse, menacing, reckless endangerment and harassment.

Some other crappy news to share...

Former Cardinal star, Myisha Hines-Allen suffers knee injury Thursday night Mystics vs Dream.  The star forward was averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds in 26.1 minutes of play per game before leaving halfway through the second quarter.  Hines-Allen had 9 points, 4 rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes on the floor before exiting and not returning for the rest of the game.  Let's hope it is nothing serious and she can return to the floor as soon as possible.  She has proven to be a vital piece to her team. 

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCAST

As far as i know, we should have a full crew on radio this weekend. With not a lot of games going on it could get weird.  Paulie will most likely have another Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast Quiz for us in the second half of the broadcast -- can anyone de-throne Jared as the back-to-back-to-back winner of these? These can be fun, even if it's just for the off-the-rails and irrelevant chatter between Paulie and the quiz contestants. 

There is a Cardinal Couple You Tube Channel where you can hear past podcasts: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Lb0KWORvn2eARnCZfjxww/videos

As always, 

Go Cards!

~Daryl 

CARDS 3X BOW OUT IN SEMIFINALS -- WNBA SUNDAY -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

LOUISVILLE 3X3 SQUAD FALLS IN USA BASKETBALL 3X3 SEMIFINALS

The joy and excitement of basketball in June that the gang here at Cardinal Couple has been reporting on over the last couple of days continued Sunday. The Cardinals squad of Liz Dixon, Kasa Robinson, Kianna Smith and Payton Verhulst reaching the semifinals of the Red Bull 2021 USA Basketball 3X3 Nationals yesterday. 

A trip to the finals, though, was thwarted when the Cards went up against Force 10 on Sunday afternoon and fell 17-13 to the squad composed of four former collegiate and WNBA players in Cierra Burdick (Tennessee/Las Vegas Aces), Linnae Harper (Kentucky/Ohio St./Minnesota Lynx), Alexis Peterson (Syracuse/Seattle Storm) and Megan Huff (Hawaii/Utah/Las Vegas Aces.

The Cardinal contingent had defeated Force 10 on Saturday 16-10 in pool play but the Force squad turned the tables on the Cards Sunday. In the event's "different" scoring structure -- where a "3" is worth two points and a regular basket worth one point -- Liz Dixon and Kianna Smith led the way for the Cards in scoring. Smith finished with six points and Dixon five. 

An impressive showing by the four Cardinals, who went 3-2 during the two days of action aat the Naismith Hall of Fame facility. Louisville defeated Maryland, the Midwest MoneyMakers and Force 10, while taking an overtime loss to Oregon and, ultimately the tournament champs...Force 10. .

It's probably way too early to accurately speculate how these Cardinals four will figure in to the 2021-22 UofL women's basketball squad...but one would think Smith and Robinson are prime contenders for starting roles and significant minutes, Dixon being part of a powerful post presence with Olivia Cochran and Verhulst seeing significant time at wing or guard. And Merissah Russell is competing for Canada in the FIBA Women's Americup 2021 -- she's just one of four collegiate players on the Canadian squad. 

We'll see...Jeff Walz and the Louisville coaches have a roster of nine returnees from 2020-21 and four newcomers that will definitely compete for court time.  The Cards could probably enter two squads in ACC play this next season and both would finish in the top three of the  conference standings. Opposing coaches couldn't be blamed if they throw their hands up in the air in frustration when they try to figure out who to stop and key on int the Cardinal lineup.

I can't wait....how about you? 

CARDS IN WNBA SUNDAY

Sunday WNBA action featured three former Cardinals in action with their two WNBA squads. 

It was a puzzling drubbing administered to Myisha Hines-Allen's Washington Mystics yesterday by the Atlanta Dream. After a close first half, where the Dream held a narrow 51-49 lead, the wheels fell of the train for the DC squad and Atlanta put together a 50-29 second-half thumping of Washington to win 101-78 in "the ATL". 

Dream guards Courtney Williams and Odyssey Sims combined for 41 points and the Mystics had a costly 17 turnovers in their worst loss of the season. Myisha led Washington in scoring with 16 points and had six rebounds for the Mystics, who fall to 4-6 with the road loss. 

Meanwhile, it was a good start for the New York Liberty's west coast journey, knocking off the Phoenix Mercury 85-83 and the Cardinal greats had a great showing. Jazmine Jones had 16 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes for NYL, and she hit the go-ahead three-pointer with a minute to go to give the Libs the win. Kylee Shook had 10 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes

The Liberty got the win without Sabrina Ionescu, who is day-to-day with an ankle injury and did not see court time in Phoenix on Sunday. Hopefully she'll recover soon for the east coast squad....but here's hoping Jaz can continue to make the most out of Ionescu's absence. 

Have a meaningful Monday and stay cool! 

paulie

Myisha, Mystics master Minnesota -- FSU pounds Oklahoma in WCWS -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

MYSTICS 85 - MINNESOTA 81

Myisha Hines-Allen had 18 points last night and Washington put together a 53-38 advantage over the Minnesota Lynx last night in the second and third quarters to down the visiting Lynx. 

As it is with Washington, if Tina Charles has a big game, the Mystics do pretty well, and the former UConn Husky great didn't disappoint the home crowd with 31 points. The two were part of a four-playerd double digit point effort that improved Washington to 3-5 and dropped Minnesota to 3-5.

A 27-18 third quarter edge put DC in the drivers seat 70-56 and they were able to hold on, despite a late rally by the visitors to get the win. 

Guard play is always key in a team's success and Washington got a good effort last night from Ariel Atkins (17 pts.) and Natasha Cloud (11 points) to contribute to the win. 

Charles has had four 30 point plus games this season and leads the WNBA with 25.1 ppg. She's also shooting 48% from the floor. It makes one wonder just how good the Mystics might be if they had Elena Della Donne in the lineup. She's taking things day-to-day, though and hasn't set a date for her comeback.  It also raises the question of how Washington will handle things when she does. Will it put Hines-Allen on the benc h as a reserve, or will Washington play the trio of Charles, Della Donne and Hines-Allen as starters and sit Shavonte Zellous?  

Washington remains home for their next contest, when they bring in the LA Sparks (4-3) Thursday night. 

FSU 8 -- OKLAHOMA 4 

The first game in the WCWS Finals took place last night in Oklahoma City and it was Florida State often and early, bombarding the Sooners 8-4/ 

FSU held a 7-0 lead after the top of the fourth -- a five-run inning helped that explosion -- and I was beginning to wonder if this one might get run ruled. Ex UofL pitcher Danielle Watson  wasn't getting battered by Sooner bats yet and FSU seemed to be having a field day against OU hurler Nicole May. 

The Sooners weren't quite ready to stop playing for the night, though. They went back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth against Watson and added two more in the bottom of the sixth to chase Watson from the circle and make it 7-4. 

Kat Sandercock came in to pitch and to save the day for the ACC school, though, and the Noles picked up a top of the seventh inning run to double the score and take the contest. 

It's interesting to note that each time this year OU has lost a game, the losing streak has stopped there. It happened early in the season against Georgia and most recently in the WCWS against James Madison. A two-game losing streak this time of year equates to your season being over, so the pressure is on the Sooners tonight to "even it up".

We also learned more about the "catcher interference" call by an umpire that most of us knew last night. When the catcher puts her knee down before catching the ball, that does constitute as blocking the plate without possession of the ball. Thus, the obstruction call comes into play.

The runner has to be given an opportunity to reach the plate, and in this case with the knee down without the ball, that is why obstruction was charged to the catcher.

OU came into the WCWS as the #1 seed and now have a 54-4 record. The Noles are 49-11-1 as the #10 seed and the tie came against our Louisville Softball squad -- a matter of travel arrangements necessitating FSU leave Ulmer and head to the airport. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie 

  

WTen Season Ends -- WNBA -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

We had a pair of Cards in action yesterday and some former Cards that played in the evening so we take a break from reviewing the different seasons to look at what went on throughout the day.

Women's Tennis Falls in NCAA Tournament

The Cardinals #13 ranked duo Raven Neely and Tatiana Simova fell to Florida's #7 ranked McCartney Kessler and Marlee Zein 6-1, 6-3 in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Doubles Championships.

Florida started hot in the opening set by racing out to a 5-0 lead before the Cards mustered up a point. Florida would go on to take the next point to claim the set.

The second set looked promising as the two foes traded points on service with Louisville going up 3-2. The Gators would go on to take the next four points and breaking the Cards twice to claim the win.

Louisville's pair of Neely and Simova finished the year 11-6 and was the first UofL doubles team to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2015.

WNBA

We saw a trio of former Cards playing last night in the WNBA. The Dallas Wings traveled east to take on the New York Liberty last night. The game ended up being live-streamed for free on the WNBA twitter account. The Liberty improved to 4-1 with an 88-81 win while the Wings dropped to 1-2.

Dana Evans came off the bench for the Wings and saw nine minutes. She missed a three-pointer while committing one turnover and one foul.

Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones both started on the bench but saw valuable minutes on the floor. Shook dropped two points with three rebounds, one assist, and two fouls on 13 minutes. Jones played 18 minutes and had five points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal to go along with a turnover and three fouls.

Tonight, the Washington Mystics will visit the Indiana Fever at 7:00 p.m. I do not think Myisha Hines-Allen is back with the Mystics yet. She has been playing in Europe this spring. 

On Thursday, the Dallas Wings will visit the Atlanta Dream, so we get to see Dana play for the second time this week.

LAUREN HARTLAGE

University of Louisville senior Lauren Hartlage golfing days in college came to an impressive conclusion with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championship at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday.

The senior, who was in contention after the second round, finished the tournament at 1-over-par, carding 73-68-75-73=289 to end as the fourth-best individual in the tournament.

We look forward to see how her career progress as she moves on to the pros ! 

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Buzzer beater in Bradenton -- Karen Ferguson Dayes Interview -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SHEY PEDDY'S BOMB BLASTS MYSTICS 85-84

For three quarters last night, the Washington Mystics looked like a team that was going to advance to the WNBA quarter-finals over the Phoenix Mercury. 

Even with Mystics star Myisha Hines-Allen getting a couple of very questionable whistles blown on her and having to sit for stretches in the first and second half because of foul trouble...let's not forget that basketball is a team game and her teammates rallied to keep the Mystics in the lead. That lead looked pretty comfortable after three quarters -- Washington up 70-59. Leilani Mitchell, Ariel Atkins and Emma Messerman were not ready to see their season end. 

I suppose you had to consider that the talents of Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Skylar-Diggins Smith and Kia Vaughn would eventually make an impact in this contest last night.

The start of the fourth quarter was a nightmare of Freddy Krueger proportions....if you are a Mystics fan. Taurasi and Diggins-Smith started connecting on the three-pointers that had been unsuccessful earlier. Vaughn was controlling the paint. A 17-0 run by Phoenix run early in the fourth not only made up the previous deficit, it propelled the Mercury to a 78-73 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the game. 

Washington, however, roared back. They erased the Phoenix lead. The Mystics fought and scrapped to a 84-82 advantage with 5.9 seconds left after Mitchell nailed a free throw. 

One chance for the Mercury to tie or even win.  

Using a time-out to advance the ball to their part of the court, the sequence played out to where Shey Peddy had the ball in the corner. Mitchell came flying at her to try and block a game-winning three attempt. Mitchell flew by. Peddy composed herself and launched the prayer. 

Shot, flight, a game-ending light illuminates on the back-board and...

The ball goes in. 

Phoenix advances to play Minnesota Thursday night. 

It may be tough for Mystics fans (like myself) to watch the sequence again, but....here it is:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1306070990825369601

Myisha ends her 2020 season with 11 points, nine rebounds and a heart as big as Texas. I still think she's the M.I.P. (most improved player) in the league. I'm proud of her, her accomplishments and her voice for social justice. The post-player who thought she was a point-guard at UofL has shown us all what someone can do if they are given a chance.

                                               -----------  

In the other play-in-game to the quarters, the Sun eliminated the Sky.

No, that's not a meteorological revelation or occurrence...it means Connecticut wins 94-81 over Chicago to advance and face the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Truth be told, there were no Cardinals involved and I only caught about the last three minutes of this one. 

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

Be sure to check back here tomorrow, as I have an interview scheduled with Louisville head women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson Dayes that I'll be posting. 

We'll discuss the Louisville WSOC squad's upcoming season-opener at Miami (FL) tomorrow night, how the squad has looked in preparation, the upcoming season and basically anything else Coach has on her mind. I'll follow up on my request to go to Miami as a senior, senile and scatter-brained scribe. I don't think I've heard anything yet, but...it seems, I forget a lot more these days than I used to. 

NOTE:

This interview was scheduled for today (Wednesday) but moved to Thursday afternoon...I'll add it to Jared column tomorrow. 

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 

 

JUSTINE SOWRY INTERVIEW -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 INTERVIEW WITH LOUISVILLE FIELD HOCKEY HEAD COACH JUSTINE SOWRY

I had the pleasure to catch up with University of Louisville's head Field Hockey Coach Justine Sowry on Wednesday via phone and we talked about Louisville Field Hockey. 

The "stick girls" will go into action (or at least it's the plan) on the weekend of Sept 26th. when they bring ACC foe Duke to Trager Stadium. 

It's a good chat with Coach as we reviewed practice, scheduling, players and the 2019 season. You can hear it at the link below: 

JUSTINE SOWRY INTERVIEW

WNBA RECAP

Three games in the "wubble" last night -- with one involving a former UofL WBB great.

The Washington Mystics faced league-leading Seattle but could not knock off the Storm -- falling 71-64. Shooting just 26% from three-point range will do that to you. Myisha Hines-Allen had a relatively quiet night with just 20 minutes on the court -- gathering six boards but just two points. 

Washington goes to 4-13 on the season and it's getting close to desperation time for the Mystics if they want to make the playoffs. 

Minnesota got a win over Chicago 86-83. The Lynx are now 13-5 and the sky 11-8 and both appear to be safe for the playoffs. 

The Los Angeles Sparks took a 91-83 win over the Dallas Wings. L.A. is 14-4 and battling for one of the first or second round byes. Dallas drops to 6-12 and holds on to eighth spot (and playoff inclusion) in the league despite the loss. 

BELLE LOSES ?

In what has to be considered a huge upset on the Ohio River, the Louisville-based steamboat The Belle of Louisville lost the annual Great Steamboat Race to her sister boat the Mary M. Miller. A usual third participant in the Derby Week event, The Belle of Cincinnati, did not make the trip down to Louisville for the race because of the Coronavirus. 

(Handicapper's tip: The Mary M. Miller was the "wise guys" pick because it had regular engines -- the Belle is powered by a paddle-wheel.) 

Have a terrific Thursday. It's "Thurby" of Derby Week, but it sure doesn't seem like it. 

Paulie

WNBA Stats and Figures -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WNBA Stats and Figures

With no new UofL news we stay focused on our former Cards and their successes in the WNBA.  Currently, we have four Cards playing in the WNBA: Angel McCoughtry, Myisha Hines-Allen, Jazmine Jones, and Kylee Shook.

All teams have played 15-17 games up to this point in the season and have just a couple weeks left in the season.  It's a good time to see just how successful our Cards have been.

All stats are shown through Aug. 30, 2020, based off the WNBA site.

Angel McCoughtry, Las Vegas Aces

The eldest of the four Cards in the pros has played in all 15 games for the Aces, averaging 20.5 minutes per game.  McCoughtry has totaled 220 points on the season.  Her 53.5% from the field is on the low side for her.  McCoughtry has also posted 78 rebounds and 38 assists to go with 18 steals, five blocks, and 25 turnovers.14.6 points per game for Angel. 

Myisha Hines-Allen, Washington Mystics

Myisha has stepped up big time in her third year.  The Mystics have looked to their new leader, who has appeared in all 15 gsames.  MHA has shattered her previous career-high and has 236 points on the year while averaging 29.4 minutes per game.  Myisha has added 128 rebounds, 36 assists, and 22 steals while committing 36 turnovers. 15.7 points per game for Myisha. 

Jazmine Jones, New York Liberty

One of two UofL rookies, Jazmine Jones has stepped into a bit of an unfamiliar role with the Liberty.  Jaz has appeared in 14 of the 15 games.  She has averaged 20.6 minutes per game and totaled 145 points on the year.  The rookie has shot a surprising 38.5% from three-point range.  Jaz has also added 47 rebounds, 30 assists, 17 steals, and six blocks to go along with 38 turnovers. 10.3 points per game for Jazmine. 

Kylee Shook, New York Liberty

Shook is the other of the two Louisville rookies in the WNBA, and has averaged 15.2 minutes per game.  Shook has scored 61 points, but very little of it has come from deep range, going just 2-for-12 so far from beyond the arc.  She has totaled 45 rebounds to go along with eight assists, six blocks, five steals, and 14 turnovers. Kylee averages about 4.0 points a game. 

The regular season concludes on Sept. 12, with the playoffs beginning shortly after.  If the standings stay true we will see just Angel and the Aces in the playoffs with the Liberty and Mystics falling short of playoff contention.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Moth Steps Down; W Returns to Action -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Sean Moth Leaves UofL PA Position

A familiar fixture at UofL home games will no longer bring his dulcet tones to the ears of UofL fans of football, men's and women's basketball, and volleyball as Sean Moth announced his resignation from the University of Louisville's athletic staff yesterday afternoon. With a thank you video from UofL Athletics going out exactly at 12:30 on Friday, it seems this was a planned move, and reading a bit into it seems budget related, but that doesn't make it sting any less. Moth has been the PA for UofL since 1999, and his game calls and regular chants have become second nature to Cardinal fans.

On the football side, Moth has reportedly already given his blessing for the beloved "CARDS FIRST DOWN" tradition to continue. Who it is that will be continuing that tradition, though, is up in the air, and the University has put themselves behind the 8-ball a bit. In UofL's release, they mentioned that they are looking for PAs to replace Moth, but not to fulfill his full time position. That is part of the evidence that this is budget related. However, Louisville's football home opener is in two weeks. They're going to have to get someone on board fast, and that person will have to get up to speed quickly.

For the arena sports, it is tough to say what Louisville home games and matches will feel like now. Moth was a major part of the environment, not just someone calling substitutions and points. Filling that void will take someone special, and I'm not sure UofL will find their next 20 year person right off the bat. Whoever comes next, however good they are, it will still feel off for a bit.

For radio baseball fans, you need not fear. Moth has announced that his play-by-play duties for the radio broadcast of UofL baseball will continue. This is a major win for the area and UofL baseball fans as the man calls a fantastic baseball game. I'm not sure if just that is enough for us to keep him close forever, but we should enjoy it while it lasts.

Once we are able to get back into Louisville home games, it's very clear that things will be different. Not just because of the changes brought on by the pandemic or by other goings on in the country and the world, but because a constant will be gone. I think everyone was looking forward to getting back to some sense of normalcy when they began returning to life, and this is one more blow to those hopes. We wish Sean Moth the best, and we hope that we continue to hear his unmistakable voice around these parts for many years to come.

Washington's Slide Continues

After beating the Dream last Wednesday, it seemed like the Mystics would have a chance to get back on track and return to their good start to the season. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be, as they have lost all three games since. We talked about the Wings loss last week, and they've twice played the Phoenix Mercury since then. Sunday's game saw Washington fall by just a point. Yesterday's game was not so close. The Mystics took an 8 point lead into half time before being drubbed by 15 in each of the final two quarters. Myisha Hines-Allen played only 24+ minutes putting up 14 points, six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. She was only 4-10 from two point land, but made her only three and went 3-4 from the free throw line. Her +/- was the best of the starting five, but it was still -9 as the Mystics fell 94-72. Washington is now 4-10, and just two games ahead of the last place Liberty.

Speaking of the Liberty, they're coming off of a win over the Chicago Sky, their second of the season, and will go up against the Las Vegas Aces today at noon. The game will be a battle of former Cards, with Jones and Shook taking on Angel McCoughtry. It'll be on CBS Sports Network.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

We may not be Sean Moth, but we do still like to hear ourselves talk. Tune in at 11AM to the Cardinal Couple Youtube Channel for this week's installment of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast. We still don't have any results, so despite the fact that the calendar is about to flip to September, we may still have our "Summer" Quiz. You'll just have to join us to find out as we work to bring you the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics each and every week.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-