CARDS WBB TRAVELS TO STANFORD -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 CARDS PLAY STANFORD FIRST IN A TWO GAME WEST COAST SWING

Let's take a positive look about the joy and excitement of Louisville WBB headed to California for their next two games. First off, there isn't a foot of snow to have to trudge through and deal with when they arrive on the Stanford campus . A forecast of 64 today at Stanford, which is about 35 miles south of San Francisco. Second, two of the Cards starters are from 'the Golden State' in Mackenly Randolph (Los Angeles) and Tajianna Roberts (San Diego). 

I doubt Taj or Mac ever heard it, but the Grateful Dead had a pretty cool song about California on their Terrapin Station album (1977) called Estimated Prophet. The late Bob Weir had the vocal and you can hear it HERE.

As far as the Stanford squad goes, they come into the fray 15-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC. It's a 8 p.m. EST game and you can catch it on ESPN. The network is rolling out their "A" team in Beth Mowins and Deb Antonelli for this one...and it'll take place in the legendary Maples Pavilion. 

Kate Paye is the head coach of Stanford. She played there and was also an assistant for Tara VanDerveer. She took over in April of 2024.  

Lara Somfai the 6'7" Cardinal center

Stanford has one up on the Cards in that they have won a National Championship (in 2021). This year, they are a lot like the Cards in the aspect of having multiple scoring threats, They have five scorers that average nine points a game or better. Nunu Agara leads the Cardinal with 14.5 a game. Following her, you've got Chloe Clardy at 11.1, Lara Somfai 10.6 a night, Courtney Ogden 10.5 and Hailee Smith 9.0 

Here's an interesting tidbit....Nunu committed to Stanford because of the palm trees. Out of Minnesota, she says they are her favorite tree. I guess Kate Paye is happy she didn't visit Miami or FAU first. 

Losses have come against FGCU, Tennessee, Duke, Syracuse, California and NC State. 

The Cards lead the overall series 2-1 , with Louisville winning the last meeting, in Louisville last year 74-65. 

Finally, let's look at the nickname. They are called the Cardinal. They were the Indians until 1972. The nickname allegedly refers to the school color of Cardinal red, and not the bird or a religious figure.  They also go by the Trees. The tree was introduced as a joke by the Stanford marching band at a football game, but it caught on with the fans and the student body has a contest each year to re-design the tree. Thank goodness that has never happened with out Cardinal Bird. Novice announcers eventually refer to the Stanford squad as the Cardinals...but i doubt Deb and Beth make that mistake. 

Yes, it's one of those Atlantic coast school on the Pacific coast.  

It should be a fun one and Daryl will have the recap in the Friday Cardinal Couple. 

Hmmmm, I wonder if we should change our name to "Cardinals Couple?" 

paulie