2018 in Cardinal women's athletics -- What were your favorite memories? -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS WBB, OTHERS ACHIEVED SUCCESSES IN 2018

As we roll toward the end of 2018, and with no women's basketball contests in the offing until "next year", let's start to take a look back at the year that 2018 was for the Louisville women's athletic squads. 

Out of all the women's sports on campus, I think you could safely say that UofL women's basketball had the most success of the 12 women's sports that compete in DI athletics on the Belknap Campus (and beyond).

They're the sport we'll discuss today.

(That's right, 12 sports). The Louisville men's athletic roster lists nine sports, in case you wondered. How many head coaches, from all those 21 teams can you name off the top of your head, without "Googling" them or asking Alexa? 

If I said "Derek Copeland" what would come to mind?



2018 brought a Cardinal WBB squad that was already 16-0, from 2017 competition, to us. They were coming off two close road ACC matches that Paulie and Sonya were fortunate enough to attend...narrow wins at Georgia Tech and NC State. The Cards returned home to face and beat Duke on Jan. 4th. After a 33-point shellacking of Notre Dame, Walz's warriors would get the win streak up to 20 in a row before Florida State rolled into town on a Sunday afternoon and dealt the Cards a one-point loss. 


That 2017-18 team ended regular season play with 29 wins and just one more defeat (at UConn) before heading to Greensboro for ACC Tournament play. Three wins there (by a combined 10 points) gave them the ACC Tournament Championship crown and onto NCAA Tournament play. I remember thinking that Louisville was going to be a very tough "out" if they could somehow avoid UConn until the final. 

As you probably remember, the Cards had no difficulty in dispatching Boise State and Marquette in the KFC YUM! Center before heading eastbound on I-64 to take over Rupp Arena and batter Stanford and Oregon State. Unfortunately, Mississippi State controversially ended the Cards season in Columbus at the Final Four. The anticipated re-match against UConn never took place and a team the Cards had defeated in the regular season and in the ACC Tournament (Notre Dame) improbably ended up as the National champs.

So far, in the latter months of 2018, the Cards are rolling along merrily at 12-0. A close one against the Sun Devils in Vegas. The Cats came back and made a few Cardinal fans uneasy at the end in the Downtown Arena 13 days ago. Thursday night's trip to Mt. Pleasant was a nail-biter, for sure, against Central Michigan...but, as 2018 turns into 2019, we can't help but think in places such as Los Angeles, Tallahassee, Colorado Springs and even here in Louisville...there are Cardinal women's basketball players sleeping in, visiting with family and friends, anticipating Christmas but keeping in the back of their minds the tough ACC slate that awaits them.   

What are your favorite WBB memories from 2018? The Cards incredible run to get to Columbus? The destruction of Notre Dame in the KFC YUM! Center? Going into Rupp an dancing in the Big Blue aisles as the Cards sent Stanford and Oregon State home? Or, maybe your favorite memories are from just recently? The aerial feats of Jazmine Jones? Asia calmly and coolly coming down court and bombing opponents into submission? Dana Evans blinding speed and breakaway layups? Or maybe even Lindsey Duvall sinking a trifecta seemingly every time she touches the orange orb? 

Share with us in the comments section. 


Do you miss Loretta Kakala or Syd Zambrotta? How much do you miss "Doo-bley" Myisha Hines-Allen?  Have you enjoyed Sam Purcell dressing like a classy clown almost each and every game? Which Walz comment or sarcastic smash has been your favorite in 2018?  Just how excited has Arica Carter's newly kindled love affair with making baskets made you? 

I'll share one of my favorite "Walzisms". It was after Big Blue Madness and UK's head WBB coach Matthew Mitchell had put on a, well...let's say, interesting...dance routine during "the madness". I asked Coach Walz if he had seen it. He chuckled briefly and then told me: 

"Up there, they like to dance in October, I like to dance in March." 

Give us your take on 2018 Cardinal WBB in the comments. Share anything you want with us. And...don't forget...


PANIC AND PANDEMONIUM ON THE AIRWAVES (AND MORE)

The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR returns to WCHQ 100.9 FM this morning at 11 a.m.

We had fun at the YUM! during our week off last Saturday and hope you enjoyed Paulie's selection of clips that comprised "The Best Of Cardinal Couple" last week. 

Join us this week on the air, on Facebook Live, via the WCHQ app or any old way you want for what could be a very interesting show. We'll talk WBB hoops, no doubt about that. 

The question is, who will be in studio?

LINK: www.wchqfm.com

After a week of having to write five of the six days so far, while still mourning and comforting, plus helping with the salvaging and recovery of my "adopted" sister Christy and her family's emotional state plus what's left of any belongings after the horrendous fire that took their "dream home" (and the lives of eight adorable pets) to the ground -- plus other "items of life" that have transpired in the last seven days.

The pure truth is I don't remember just who I invited or who is scheduled into the studio to join me today. "Saturday done snuck up on the boy" to put it in colloquial terms. 

I'm pretty sure my running-mate at point-guard Worldwide Jeff will be in to twist the knobs, slide the levers and view the many screens with the hopes of eventually getting us both audio and video. (I sure hope so, they definitely DON'T want me trying to engineer the broadcast).

I think Jared and his "love-er-ly" gal Katy are back in Louisville but it's not a sure "thing" in my mind and I believe Case is still prowling the seven seas in his pirate ship with his adorable wife Lindsay, terrorizing the colonists and imparting wisdom. 

Can't remember if I extended any other invitations. It is egg nog season, you know. 

Join us at 11. Either via electronic device(s) or just c'mon down to the magnificent media mansion on Mellwood and have a pastry, muffin or donut. 





paulie
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