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

WNBA, Volleyball, and Youtube - Sunday Cardinal Couple

 WNBA

The New York Liberty, with our alumnae Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones, went down to defeat 80-63 against the Las Vegas Aces and another alumna, Angel McCoughtry.  The margin wasn't as wide as a couple of us feared it would be on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour yesterday.

McCoughtry was the most productive Card with 10 points, six rebounds, a pair of assists, and several blocks.  Jaz Jones put in nine points, and pulled down a trio of rebounds.  Shook got four rebounds and had part of a block.

Also in action, the Seattle Storm beat the Chicago Sky, 88-74; and the Indiana Fever went down to defeat at the hands of the Dallas Wings, 82-78.

Myisha Hine-Allen will be the only former Cardinal in action today at 4pm as her Washington Mystics take on the Connecticut Sun.  This one is on NBC Sports.  The Mercury and Lynx will tangle at 6pm, and the Dream and the Sparks will be at 8pm.

Volleyball

All-America Honors for Verbal Commit

The MaxPreps 2020 preseason All-America team was announced a few days ago, and a Louisvillian, verbally committed to play at UofL was amongst the honorees.  Elena Scott, at Mercy made the 2nd team honors.  Scott is listed as a 5'8" setter.

At 5'8", setting will be a challenge at the college level for Scott, as typically teams look for taller setters so they can be more effective in blocking on the front row.  Tori Dilfer is 5'11", though Rachel DeMarcus, joining this year as a transfer, is only 5'7".

Scott will be joining a team, next fall, that will already have three setters on the roster.  Assuming Dilfer decides to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility from the NCAA, she, DeMarcus, and Jamie Vassilou will all still be on the roster and all are listed as setters.

Voices

Aiko Jones is a redshirt sophomore outside hitter this year.  I have sung her praises as a player, as a person, and occasionally as a videographer.

Aiko typically posts videos on her YouTube channel that give glimpses into what life is like for a young woman in her home, Kingston Jamaica, and coming to Louisville to play Division 1 volleyball.

Jones has now put her video editing talents to use in creating a video that she has called, "Voices".  She has gotten friends from here at UofL and across the country, to share about their experiences and their lives as people of color.  It is a powerful video, helped by being well edited and put together.  I encourage you to watch it, and consider that these are all young men and women who are being targeted and victimized by racism and bigotry, both by individuals and systemically.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

While you're over at YouTube, you can also check out the latest Cardinal Couple Radio Hour with the full house, Jared, Case, Paulie, and myself, all on the line.

WNBA action, the above volleyball All-America honors, and the departure of Sean Moth from UofL Athletics were all discussed.  I particularly enjoyed the discussion highlighting and honoring Moth for his years of service at the microphone here at Uofl.

And, of course, another Cardinal Couple quiz.  Check it out below.

JMcA

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-

No scores but things to think about -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 WHAT'S GOING ON 

We know that a lot of our readers come here for scores and results of athletic events. It is in our mission statement, to share and report on the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports. That extends to former Cardinal student-athletes who have gone on past the collegiate to participate professionally.  

No scores from last night, as the WNBA chose to stay off the court a second night because of the Jacob Blake protest. Below is a statement from the WNBA's New York Liberty: 

1,103 days since the New York Liberty’s first annual UNITY Day game dedicated to social justice. As the injustices persist, so does the work.

Today marks what should have been the Liberty’s 4th annual UNITY Day game which is devoted to telling Breonna Taylor’s story and highlighting the #SayHerName campaign. In light of today’s protest, our UNITY Day will be rescheduled at a later date. While we will not take the court today, we will continue to stay loud in our pursuit of justice.

The New York Liberty organization stand in solidarity with our players and demand justice for #JacobBlake, #GeorgeFloyd, #BreonnaTaylor, #AhmaudArbery, and the many human lives affected by brutal police encounters. We will not be silenced.

All lives can’t matter until Black lives matter.

The statement reflects an important part of the change in sporting these days. We try not to get too political or opinionated on things here at Cardinal Couple, but we live in a changing world. A world that has become very political, statement-laden and rightly so. We will continue to cover it as best we can. I'd like to think that our coverage of UofL women's athletics contests has been comprehensive, factual, and accurate in past seasons. I fully expect it to be the same in the future. There will come a day when we are able to resume that. Until then, we wait and see what will transpire with COVID. We have always been about the health, safety and well-being of the student-athlete. That is priority. 

NO SCHEDULING YET

Louisville's Volleyball, Field Hockey and women's soccer squad continue to practice hard for the hopeful eventuality of a schedule and competition. There isn't a schedule out there for any of these three sports yet, some adjusting and re configuring most likely going on since ACC members Duke and Syracuse won't be fall participants in the three sports. Are there more ACC schools that will follow suit? That's possible, if 2020 has shown us anything, we have learn that things are subject to change. 

It's tough to request interviews to discuss game results, future games, player performance and overall conference standings and trends with coaches and players when they don't currently exist. Any "up close and personal" interviews are pretty much out-of-the-question these days and it is a time where the student-athletes and coaches are having meaningful dialogue and meetings about what is going on in the world and our country today. So, we wait patiently and hope for the best.

One thing we haven't gotten official verification on, but have heard that happened, is that the year-old UofL Golf facility on Floyd Street, north of "the circle" has been closed. This is a beautiful facility and I hope the closure is just temporary -- because of budget cuts and COVID -- and isn't permanent. We have to realize that the UofL Athletic Department is not able to operate at a profit these days and that cutbacks to save dollars are necessary. Still, I feel bad for the coaches and golfers.  Just for the record, I've contacted several sources on this news, and haven't received a reply or confirmation.  

If you like to follow the pursuits of the squads in their preparations, I can highly recommend that you follow them on Twitter. We have our columnist Jeff McAdams UofL Sports based Twitter feed over on the right side of our site and it's a real good way to stay informed on the who, what and how of Louisville women's athletics as they exist these days. 

We hope for the best, accept what is in front of us, realize change is needed and continue to hope for the safety, good health and success for all. 

paulie

Soccer's New Gear -- WNBA Protests -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Soccer's New Gear

Louisville women's soccer released photos of some of their new gear that they will be wearing for the 2020 season.  Adidas and Louisville have had a strong contract for many years and they constantly bring out top-of-the-line gear for everyone in athletics.

We often see student-athletes, coaches, and staff repping nice Adidas gear.  Even us here at Cardinal Couple have been known to enjoy some swag.

Here are a few pictures the team released of some of the gear we will see the players wearing on the pitch:

Also, if you were wondering what happens with the old gear such as uniforms and cleats, the players usually do not get to keep them.  Either UofL or Adidas holds onto those for reasons I am not sure I understand.

The t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and backpacks are for the players to keep forever.  With how high quality the material is, they can last a long time.

WNBA Protests

If you were expecting to see WNBA games last night, you probably already know that those games did not happen.  In protests against current events in the United States, the teams refused to play, and wore shirts spelling out "Jacob Blake" with bullet holes in the shirts.

Jacob Blake is one of the more recent stories right now as police shot him in the back seven times with his children in the car witnessing the event.  Thankfully, Blake survived, but he is permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Besides the WNBA, we also saw teams in the NBA, MLB, MLS, and individual tennis players refuse to play in protest of recent events.

We are not here to discuss politics on the Cardinal Couple site, but we would be happy to openly discuss politics and the current situation through our various platforms of social media.

No matter your stance on the situation, please understand that these athletes are within their rights for freedom of speech to make their voices heard.  I expect to hear more from some of our UofL alums as they release their own personal statements in the coming days.

COVID-19 Testing

Have you experienced a COVID-19 test yet?  Everyone associated with UofL has.  I know Paulie and Sonya took one shortly after their visit to Gatlinburg.  Due to my interaction with the public on a daily basis at work I took my second test yesterday.

So, what's it like?

The test I take is the one where you sit in the car and run a nasal swab in each nostril.  It goes as far up your nose as possible and is not a pleasant feeling, although it does not hurt.  If you're like me, your eyes water and your nose is a bit runny.

For a process that takes less than 30 seconds, I would gladly take the test everyday if it helped us have faster results on who is positive as well as give us a chance of truly having sports again.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

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 

High School Sports Are On -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Kentucky Will Play High School Sports

KHSAA voted heavily in favor of playing fall sports as regularly scheduled.  Governor Beshear later came out stating that he backs the decision and will let the responsibility and policing fall upon school districts and superintendents.

As Paulie mentioned yesterday, this isn't exactly tied to UofL women's sports, but UofL brings in a ton of in-state talent.  By allowing a fall season, players can showcase their skills and allow coaches and recruiters another opportunity to watch them play, either in person or video footage.

The conditions for each sport to play have not been outlined yet, but the outdoor sports should not have much of an issue.  Volleyball, however, may see more limitations due to playing indoors.  That may mean no fans at all or be required to play in larger gyms, but we will not know that until KHSAA releases all of that information.

JCPS (Jefferson Cointy Public Schools) will allow fall sports for now, but they will start on a staggered schedule. The "less-contact" sports can begin practices today.  Catholic high schools are on board for playing sports so that will allow local girls high schools such as Assumption, Sacred Heart, Mercy, and Presentation to play.

Of course, the situation is "fluid", as are many things in 2020. School administrators will be held responsible  for instituting safety protocols, distancing and checking the athletes regularly with COVID-19 testing. It is estimated high school football games in Jefferson County (Louisville) will being near the end of September. 

ROSTER BREAKDOWNS FOR UofL WOMEN'S SPORTS SQUADS

Paulie highlighted a few of the Kentucky-based women's players on UofL rosters so I thought it would be neat to break down each sport and how many Kentuckians are on their current roster.

*Note: I am going by the GoCards rosters posted as of Monday night.*

Basketball - 3

    Mykasa Robinson (Ashland, Ashland Blazer)

    Molly Lockhart (Louisville, Butler) 

    Malea Williams (Georgetown, Scott County)

Cross Country - 0

Field Hockey - 7

    Elizabeth Allgeier (Louisville, Assumption)

    Embry Jane Imorde (Louisville, Sacred Heart)

    Camryn Pichea (Louisville, Assumption)

    India Reed (Louisville, DuPont Manual)

    Erica Cooper (Louisville, Assumption)

    Mattie Tabor (Louisville, Sacred Heart)

    Sam Minrath (Louisville, Christian Academy)

Golf - 1

    Lauren Hartladge - (Elizabethtown, Elizabethtown)

Lacrosse - 2

    Maggie Foster (Louisville, Eastern)

    Ashley Osborne (Louisville, Ballard)

Rowing - 8

    Heidi Anderson (Union, Ryle)

    Alaina Brauer (Hebron, Notre Dame)

    Michaela Dukes (Independence, Simon Kenton)

    Ellee Grosser (Villa Hills, Notre Dame)

    Caylee Hill (Bardstown, Thomas Nelson)

    Anna Kiser (Shelbyville, Shelby County)

    Eliza Wack (Nicholasville, West Jessamine)

    Tress Wigginton (Louisville, Eastern)

Soccer - 6

    Emina Ekic (Louisville, DuPont Manual)

    Savina Zamborini (Louisville, DuPont Manual)

    Jolene Ballard (Louisville, DuPont Manual)

    Cassie Amshoff (Louisville, Sacred Heart)

    Kiley Polk (Louisville, Sacred Heart)

    Mikayla Miller (Louisville, Mercy)

Softball - 4

    Taylor Roby (Mount Washington, Bullitt East)

    Eden Mayo (Grayson, East Carter)

    Elana Ornelas (Lagrange, Oldham County)

    Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Fern Creek)

Swimming and Diving - 5

    Rachel Howard (Louisville, Christian Academy)

    Sophie Middendorf (Ft Wright, Notre Dame)

    Grace Oglesby (Goshen, North Oldham)

    Kelly Tichenor (Prospect, North Oldham)

    Kaylee Wheeler (Louisville, Collegiate)

Tennis - 1

    Anna Collins (Louisville, Veritas Press)

Track and Field - 7

    Alexis Gibbons (Louisville, Butler)

    Carolina Gosser (Louisville, Presentation)

    Halee Hudson (Williamstown, Scott County)

    Emma Ison (Greenup, Russell Independent)

    Cierra Jackson (Louisville, Eastern)

    Lauren Radenhausen (Taylor Mill, Scott)

    Brooke Raglin (Lexongton, Bryan Station)

Volleyball - 4

    Alexa Hendricks (Louisville, Assumption)

    Alexis Hamilton (Louisville, Assumption)

    Anna DeBeer (Louisville, Assumption)

    Rachael DeMarcus (Lexington, Bryan Station)

In total, there are 46 Louisville women's student-athletes hailing from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  That's not too shabby.

The most common high schools on the list include Assumption (six), DuPont Manual (four), and Sacred Heart (four).

We love all of our women's student-athletes at UofL, but we are grateful for those who choose to stay in state or even in town.

NC State Halts Athletics

Following a recent outbreak of COVID-19, NC State has paused all athletics for two weeks.  They announced there were 27 new positive cases in the department among student-athletes, staff, and coaches.

NC State is currently holding all undergraduate classes online but has allowed the student-athletes to remain on campus to play their respective fall seasons.

The Wolfpack field volleyball and soccer teams but do not have a field hockey team.

I guess Paulie won't be kissing Ms. Wuf anytime soon.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

 

PLAY, DELAY OR STAY AWAY? -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 JCPS ATHLETIC BOARD MAKES THE CALL TONIGHT

The Jefferson County Public School Athletic Board meets this evening to make a decision on fall sports in the Louisville area. 

If you're wondering what exactly this has to do with the joy and excitement of University of Louisville athletics, consider the rosters of the women's fall sports squads on the Belknap campus. You'll find several "homegrown" student athletes on the squads. Women's Soccer star Emina Ekic, who went to Louisville Manual. Sam Minrath and India Reed both played field hickey locally. Louisville Volleyball has a couple as well on  the 2020 roster with Alexa Hendricks and Anna DeBeer. Local talent has always been a "feeder"for the Louisville fall women's sports squads -- and there are many other high school seniors who have played at Jefferson County high schools and gone on to other colleges and universities to establish student-athlete careers. 

Earlier this month, the KHSAA (Kentucky High School Athletic Association) voted to proceed with fall sports. Jefferson County, however, has a bit of different circumstances than some of the smaller counties and communities that make up the KHSAA. The wider spread of COVID-19 being the main one. 

This is a decision ahead that isn't going to be popular, no matter which way the athletic board votes. 

If they decide to start fall sports, there will be worry about the health and safety of the participants, coaches and those who attend the events as fans. If they cancel the fall events, there will be an outcry from the coaches, parents and student-athletes who want events and participation. The third option is a delay. That, in itself, had subsections -- in, how long a delay? For a month, until the spring, until January 1st, 2021? 

This is no easy decision to make and I'm glad I'm not on that board that will make the decision tonight.

To the north of Louisville, Southern Indiana high schools, who have already gone back to school, are also playing fall sports. Including football. With fans in the stands. Of course, it's too early to tell what COVID-19 case will spring up from that. From all indications, spacing and masking has been in place in the stands. But, what about the linemen, or forwards and defenders on the field that are breathing on each other unmasked? 

The vast majority of fall sports are, of course, outdoors. Volleyball, though, in Kentucky can start practice today and begin matches/competition on Sept. 7th. 

It'll be interesting to see how the Jefferson County High School Sports board votes tonight. 

APOLOGIES AND CHANGES

Our platform for posting articles here at Cardinal Couple is Blogger. Blogger recently went through some updates and changes designed to "improve the experience". 

Maybe...

What has happened here on the posting end is that the format has gone to double spacing only, which is annoying and not great for a daily column like ours. Also, pictures and labels have become much harder to add to articles. And, finally, the ability to comment on articles has disappeared, it seems, for many of our readers. 

On Thursday of last week, commenting suddenly stopped functioning for a lot of you. I've gotten e-mails from you and I thank you for letting me know about this function not working for you. I apologize for not jumping on this situation earlier, but, it took me awhile just to figure out how to try and change things in the blogger format and, quite honestly, I'm not sure I understand it yet. 

Gee, I could use an IT guy...

And, I haven't commented in awhile, admittedly, so I don't know if it affects the staff here or not, and, let's be honest, our guys aren't much on commenting to begin with -- but the loss of readers' comments does concern me. And, the staff here is registered to comment under a different category than the "anonymous" commentor....we're registered through Blogger.  

I know, commenting "anonymously" can be trickey with the verifying stuff you have to do...like "how many fire hydrants are there above?" or "choose the automobiles" but we have to have some type of verification/identity procedures here -- otherwise the comments would be over-run by "bots", spammers and sellers. 

So, my request is simple. Would you try to comment today? It doesn't need to be long or eloquent. Just a simple "Interesting article" or "I disagree" or even "Hi guys!"  -- anything, just to see if we can get comments again. I'm no I.T. specialist, so maybe I messed something up in the change-over. 

Thanks for you help.   

paulie

Sunday Cardinal Couple - WNBA and Turning Left

 WNBA

The WNBA keeps up its faster-paced schedule, and three Cards were in action.

Angel McCoughtry had a solid night for the Las Vegas Aces, but her biggest contribution wasn't scoring in the Vegas win over the Sue Bird-less Seattle Storm 82-74.  McCoughtry produced 13 points, but her highest stat was the 14 rebounds.  Add in a trio of assists and another trio of blocks, and I'd say that's a pretty good outing.

The Aces are seem to be using a strong rotation of substitutions, keeping Angel's (and others') playing minutes a bit lower and distributing them across the team.  Of the nine players that played, all had at least eight minutes of time on the court.  Angel had 22 minutes.

The rookie laden squad of the New York Liberty was also in action with UofL's Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones.  Shook's night was pretty forgettable, only contributing part of a block and a rebound in 12 minutes of play.

In 20 minutes of playing time, Jones made her mark again.  11 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a pair of steals, Jones once again demonstrated why legions of Cards fan fell in love with her play.  Clearly the Liberty are enjoying her presence as well, again featuring her in highlight clips on social media.

Kia Nurse was the star of the night for the Liberty, pouring in 17, but it wouldn't be enough with the Connecticut Sun taking the win 82-65.

Indy 500

Today is the delayed running of the Indy 500, with no fans in attendance.  There's no real connection with UofL Sports here, but it is one data point in the ongoing debate of whether and how to hold large sporting events.  With the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Churchill Downs both deciding to run their delayed huge signature events with no fans in attendance, it puts a spotlight on what college athletics will do with fall sports.

This is normally when we would start seeing UofL fall sports starting up their public events.  Women's Soccer would normally kick things off around about this weekend, with Field Hockey close behind.  Volleyball would hold their Red and Black scrimmage and start official play typically the next weekend.

This year, however, we don't even have schedules posted on https://gocards.com right now.

Speculation continues to abound, and we continue to wait, hopefully with everyone being masked and safe.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

A great finish to the Cardinal Couple Quiz yesterday on the topic of ACC opponents.  Case, Jared, and myself all had pretty good outings, with Jared and Case finishing in a tie for the win.  As always it was a fun hour(ish) of sports analysis and recaps. Take the quiz and see if you can beat us. 

College eligibility decisions from the NCAA and the WNBA got a lot of the discussion time, but some other topics made it in there as well, including a couple of assistant coaching position announcements in the city.  Check out the fun below.

JMcA

Eligibility for All; Mooks' Career Night -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 NCAA Votes for Eligibility for Fall Athletes

Are you a collegiate athlete competing in a sport designated by the NCAA to take place in the "fall" in the 2020 season? If so, I have good news for you: this season is effectively null and void, at least in terms of eligibility. The NCAA had previously voted to cancel fall championships across the country, putting Olympic sports in the conferences that were still planning on playing in a very awkward spot. While they're still in an awkward spot, athletes at these conferences and across the country received positive news yesterday. The NCAA has declared a blanket waiver of eligibility for all fall athletes, similar to what they did for the spring season. However, this one comes with a situation that is a bit more interesting. The waiver is good regardless of how many competitions you participate in over the 2020-21 athletic calendar. Therefore, anyone that plays in games this fall (or spring if their fall season is moved to the spring) will not impact their free year of eligibility.

This is, of course, wonderful for the athletes. The unfairness we talked about with shortened seasons for smaller sports is negated, and players are not punished for opting out. My concern is that the NCAA is not necessarily looking out for athlete health with this move, as I feel they should have been more of a national leader on safety decisions for the fall. However, this does give teams that truly feel they have a handle on the COVID-19 situation in their area the freedom to continue practice and competitions with other teams that feel the same. On the flip side, it gives schools that do not have a handle on their situation but are pretending to that freedom as well. That said, any athletes that feel like they are in that situation are protected by opting out and maintaining that eligibility.

For once, and this feels strange to say, it seems like the NCAA has made a move that has a lot of flexibility but is mostly positive. When they made the decision about the spring sport eligibility, it was because they didn't really have a choice. The pressure was on for them to do it and it was a knee-jerk reaction to the sudden cancellation of all of the sports. Unlike the spring decision, the NCAA didn't actually have to make this one. Would it have been dumb if they didn't? Sure, but that hasn't ever stopped them before. Given the scattershot approach by conferences to the fall, the NCAA could have easily just said everyone that was playing should take it up with their conferences for putting them in that situation, but they didn't. They actually made a reasonable decision for the student-athletes. 

MHA's Big Night Can't Get Washington Back on Track

After beating the Dream on Wednesday, the Mystics needed to roll off a few more wins to get back on track to prevent the season from getting out of hand. With a game against the Dallas Wings on the line, it seemed like such an opportunity was there for the taking. Myisha Hines-Allen saw the opportunity and went for it. Unfortunately, much of the rest of her team didn't get the memo. The Wings took a 20 point lead into half time and it looked like the Mystics would be right back to getting thumped by teams that had no business thumping them. Instead, Washington came out of the break and rattled off a 29 point quarter. Scoring 29 didn't help too much, though, as they still trailed by 11. However, they managed to hold on to that momentum to close the gap in the fourth, tying the game to get to overtime. They only scored four in the final period. Dallas scored more than that.

Despite the loss, Hines-Allen had a career night. She played more than 42 minutes, the most of anyone, and picked up 35 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. She was perfect from the free throw line and 3-4 from beyond the arc. The double-double was her fourth of the season, as she seeks to make the most of her expanded role. We've discussed it at length, but I think it's worth saying again: Myisha Hines-Allen has the talent and the determination to be a star in the WNBA. I'm glad she's getting the opportunity to show it.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

Another week has come and gone, so it's time for another episode of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast. We should have a full house this week, if memory serves, but you all know I've been wrong before. We actually have some positive news to talk about this week, so perhaps we won't rant for the entire hour. We'd love to have actual competition to discuss, but maybe we'll get back to that eventually. Tune in at 11AM for the live stream over at the Cardinal Couple YouTube channel or check out the show any time after recording. Be sure to subscribe and share with anyone else you think might be interested as well!

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Four Cardinals named to US National Swimming Team -- WNBA Recap -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 ALBIERO, COMERFORD, WORRELL AND HARTLEY TO COMPETE FOR USA

Even though the Tokyo Olympics have been pushed back to 2021, USA Swimming has named 115 men and women swimmers and divers to the USA squad. A nice selection of Louisville Cardinals greats are named to the squad and one local, hometown student-athlete has also made the list. 

Nick Albiero (200 Fly), Mallory Comerford (100 Free), Kelsi Worrell Dahlia (200 fly) and Zach Hartley (200 IM) will compete for USA. All four, under the tutelage of UofL head swimming and diving coach  Arthur Albiero, had very impressive college careers under Albiero and the four had a total of 27 ACC (and Big East) championships between them. Nick Albiero is still ertolled at UofL, he'll be a junior this year, The four will continue to train and practice as we wait for more specifics on when the Olympics will actually take place. 

Brooke Forde (Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, KY and Stanford) was also named to the USA squad for the 400 IM. Brooke is one of eight Stanford student-athletes or future Stanford named swimmers to make the squad on the women's team. Forde, who will be a junior this year, was named the 2017 KHSAA Female Athlete of the Year and 2017 NHSCA High School Swimmer of the Year while here in Louisville attending high school 

WNBA RECAP

ACES 99 - SUN 78

Angel McCoughtry only played 20 minutes last night in the Las Vegas Aces 99-78 win over the Connecticut Sun but had 14 points and eight rebounds. The big story for Las Vegas was A'ja Wilson's 21 points and Kayla McBride's 25, as Las Vegas improved to 9-2. The Aces actually trailed 27-25 after the first quarter, but jumped to a 53-42 halftime lead and pulled away in the final 20 minutes. Las Vegas improved to 9-2, good for second place in the WNBA and just one game back of league leading Seattle. 

SKY 101 - LIBERTY 85

Jazmine Jones had a nice outing for the New York Liberty with 18 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes but the Liberty fell to the Chicago Sky 101-85. Jaz was the leading scorer for New York (1-10). Kylee Shook saw 15 minutes for the Liberty and added six points and four grabs. New York trailed just 23-21 after the first quarter but the Sky got a career high from Azura Stevens (25 points) and Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley added 19 each. The Sky used a strong second quarter to take a 57-44 halftime lead and pull away.

Chicago went 11-23 from the three-point mark, while New York was just 3-19 from the deep, Jaz went 7-14 from the floor, hit all three free throws and had one of the three threes for New York. 

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR PODCAST

Have a fantastic Friday and be sure to catch our Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast tomorrow at 11 a.m.You can access all our shows and our latest show on YouTube at the link below. LINK: 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast 11/15

paulie

 

 

Kouzelos Named Top 10 Goalkeeper -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Kouzelos Named Top 10 Goalkeeper

Gabby Kouzelos was named a Top 10 Goalkeeper for the 2020 season by Top Drawer Soccer.  The senior has been the starting goalkeeper for the last three seasons for the Cards.

She is one of three ACC goalkeepers to make the Top 10 list, joining Laurel Ivory from Virginia and Claudia Dickey from North Carolina.

Kouzelos led the Cards to a 13-5-2 record last season that featured a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  She recorded a career-high 51 saves and recording 10 shutouts while posting an incredible 0.87 goals against average- ranking second all-time in program history.

"She may not have the stereotypical goalkeeper frame, but she makes up for any concerns there with good positioning and sharp shot-stopping reflexes.  Unafraid to come off her line and stand up strong, she's one of the more underrated goalkeepers in DI women's soccer.  After the 2019 season she earned All-ACC Second Team honors.  In her three seasons with the Cardinal[s], she's played every single game when healthy." -Top Drawer Soccer.

We at Cardinal Couple are familiar with Gabby.  She's always been a fun interviewee, providing plenty of insight while also being able to handle Paulie's witty humor. Below, a link with "the Gabs" after a win over Clemson. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v1y5xCaMfs

On the pitch, Kouzelos can often be heard as the loudest voice.  She commands the team with assertion and will often find herself near midfield to help coach on offense.

One of the many reasons we will see a highly successful 2020 season, for the few matches that they can play, is because of Kouzelos' leadership and skills.

WNBA: Mystics Down Dream

A huge night for UofL WBB great Myisha Hines-Allen last night as the Washington Mystics downed two-win Atlanta 98-91.

"Doo-blay" went for 23 points, and was 10-14 from the floor! She also nailed three-three pointers. Myisha came into the game with just six "makes" from beyond the arc for the season. 

Washington led 78-63 going into the fourth quarter and was able to hold off a late Atlanta run to improve to 4-7. The win broke the Mystics seven-game losing streak.

Also huge for the Mystics was rookie Stella Johnson. The Rider U. graduate had 25 points and hit six three-pointers for Washington in the first start of her career. I expect she'probably won herself a starting role with that performance.   

Katy is Here!

The best news in a while for me is Katy's arrival to Louisville.  After 3 1/2 years of long distance dating we finally will be living in the same town.

I'll help her move onto Louisville Presbyterian Seminary's campus bright and early today and will no longer worry about the long trips to Florida State or her home in South Carolina.

Although Katy is a bit camera shy I'm sure I can get her to pop on Skype to say a few words Saturday Saturday morning.

Continue to stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared