WNBA News -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Dana Evans Traded to Chicago Sky

(Send me to that team. The one north of here...) 

Some days we struggle to come up with things to write about while other days news falls right into your lap. The WNBA dropped a dime with a big trade announcement yesterday.

Many fans, especially Louisville women's basketball fans, were left confused with yesterday's announcement. The Dallas Wings traded Dana Evans to the Chicago Sky. Dallas took Evans as the 13th overall pick of the 2021 WNBA Draft and currently sit at 2-4 on the year.

The entire trade saw Chicago receiving Dana Evans and Dallas' 2022 first round pick and Dallas received Chicago's 2022 first round pick, 2022 third round pick, and Shyla Heal, who was immediately placed on waivers.

(There's always modeling, Shyla...)

Note that the Sky had the eighth overall pick of the 2021 WNBA Draft and passed on Evans at the time for Shyla Heal out of Australia. Heal has averaged 7.75 minutes per game over the span of four games with eight total points with three rebounds and three assists. The Aussie native also has 10 turnovers and six fouls. 

Chicago has had just as rough of a start to the season as the Wings, starting the year 2-5. The Sky won their first two games but have since dropped five straight.

Evans saw action in all six of Dallas' games, averaging 4.0 minutes per game. She has totaled five points and three assists to go along with four turnovers and three fouls.

Why didn't Chicago originally draft Dana? It took them a quarter of the way through the season to realize they drafted the wrong player? What was once a highly-anticipated season for Sky fans has turned into frustration and confusion as the front office seems to be unsure of the direction it wants to head.

Nevertheless, we will still support as Cardinal alums and will follow her journey in Chicago. Hopefully, she will be able to make an immediate impact with the Sky. Chicago is set to play Phoenix tonight at 10:00 p.m., but it is doubtful Evans will be dressed for the game after such a short turnaround.

We do feel for Shyla Heal, who went from a first round draft pick this year to getting bumped from the WNBA altogether before truly getting a chance to prove herself. We wish Heal the best and hope she finds herself back in the league.

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The weekend is closing in on us quickly. The bonus question for this week is if Daryl and Case will be back on air or not. The world will never know.  Tune in to find out. You can also catch last weeks show at the Cardinal Couple You Tube Page. 

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Volleyball to Sweet 16 -- Dana Evans to Dallas -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

Good morning!

Sometimes it feels like yesterday since I've checked in with you all, other times it feels like ages.  This time it feels like forever since I've checked in.  It could be that the softball Cards have been on the road for a while or had a game postponed.  Could be that I have started back at the Louisville Bats with button pushing duties.  I know I haven't been on radio for a while too and it could totally be why as well.  I am going to try my best to hop on from the studio Saturday morning.  

Into the news and notes and joys of Louisville women's athletics... 


Volleyball CARDS beat San Diego 3-1

The Cardinals opened the NCAA tournament Thursday afternoon against the San Diego Toreros in Omaha, NE.  After a very slow start for UofL and losing the first set 25-14, the Cards stormed back to win the following three sets and advance to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. Coach Dani Busboom Kelly referenced the bubble being a reason the team came out flat-footed.  UofL hit a frigid -.077 and had scored the first six points for the Toreros on hitting errors.

"For sure we had some nerves in the first set. I think one of the things about being in the bubble is it is tough," said Busboom Kelly. "We had 30 minutes to practice on that court at 7 a.m. yesterday and that is the only 30 minutes we got. At 7 a.m. in general you wouldn't get much out of it and when you are in a whole new arena on a new court with weird backdrop, it is just a lot of different things going on that are out of the norm. I wasn't surprised we started out slowly but it went poorly in a hurry. I didn't think necessarily that we would be bad for the whole set but I knew we couldn't play much worse than that after game one. That is kind of to be expected. San Diego got to play before. (they played Wednesday to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi 3-0) While it is great to be seeded and get a bye and it is an advantage in some ways but I think it was a disadvantage as a set up because you didn't get the experience in the environment because it is so unique."

Overall, UofL hit .227 with 15 blocks and five aces, surviving 12 service errors. ACC and AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year Anna DeBeer had 11 kills and five blocks. Amaya Tillman rejected USD nine times, adding four kills. Tori Dilfer ran the offense with 41 assists and an ace, helping out with four blocks. Chaussee filled up the stat box notching a career-high in kills as she threw down 21, adding two aces and a team-high 10 digs.

In the second set, San Diego maintained momentum early, using a 6-0 run to go up 14-10 early. Busboom Kelly inserted Chausee into the lineup and she responded with seven kills, hitting .875 and scored five of the final 10 points of the set. UofL did not regain the lead until 22-21 on a miss by Fayad. A kill by Chaussee gave the Cards set point at 24-23 and a ball-handling error charged to the Toreros gave the Cards the 25-23 win and evened the set score going into the break.

In the third set, a deflated San Diego squad let the Cardinals jump out to an 8-5 lead early but tied at ten on a UofL miscue. UofL responded immediately with a 5-0 run to go up 15-10 at the media timeout. The Cards commanded the lead down the stretch to a 25-17 win. Chaussee paced the Cards with five kills and two aces in the set. 

The fourth set was a thriller. Louisville went through eight ties and four lead changes and we got bonus Volleyball, before Louisville got a block by Amaya Tillman and Aiko Jones to win set and match 29-27.  

The Cards advance to play the Washington Huskies on Sunday.  Time is TBD.  The Huskies are 18-3 after beating Dayton Thursday afternoon 3-2.

Cardinal Couple writer Jeff McAdams is in Tulsa and we hope he'll chime in via the comments section with his observations on the win. He will join us for a recap on the Saturday Cardinal Couole Radio Hour Podcast. 

Dana Evans on WNBA Draft night

Dana Evans heard her name called Thursday night by the Dallas Wings. She was the first pick in the second round -- 13th overall in the WNBA draft.. Dana fell in the selection process from what many expected, going in the second round, on draft night, but she kept her head held high.. going 13th overall, Dallas had 3 of the first 5 picks. 

Evans is the 14th Louisville player selected in the history of the WNBA Draft. Of the 14 WNBA Draft picks, 12 have played under head coach Jeff Walz.

"It's a blessing, I'm just really excited to finally hear my name," said Evans to Holly Rowe during ESPN's coverage of the WNBA Draft. "But, I'll use it as motivation because I didn't expect to be this far (down...in the draft). I'm ready to take on whatever I have to do and I'm excited."

It marks the third straight season that Louisville has had at least one player selected in the WNBA Draft.

Last season, Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook went 12th and 13th overall to the New York Liberty. In 2019, three Cardinals were selected as Asia Durr went second overall to the New York Liberty, Arica Carter went 32nd to the Phoenix Mercury and Sam Fuehring went 34th to the Washington Mystics.

It was a shock to us all here at CC to see Dana on the board so long.  But we wish her nothing but the best as she embarks on the next step in her basketball journey.   I know Louisville fans will continue to follow the career of Dana Evans.   A heads up... The Dallas Wings visit the Indiana Fever on June 24th.  Mark your calendars. 

Louisville Softball opens series with #21 Duke

Friday at 7 p.m.  

Saturday (DH) at 12 p.m.

Sunday at 12 p.m.

Watch on ACCNX

The Cards are back at Ulmer for a four game series with the Blue Devils (27-9, 15-9 ACC).   Its the first trip to Louisville for Duke.  Friday's game will be the first of 9 games against top 25 ranked foes. 

Louisville leads the all time series 2-1.  This weekend's series will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2018 when Louisville claimed the series, 2-1. Duke picked up a 1-0 victory in game three to avoid the sweep. Duke is currently on a 3-game losing streak as well as a cancellation falling to league leader and #9 Florida State last weekend.

UofL is led by junior Camryn Greenwood with a .447 clip (2nd in ACC) on an ACC-leading 46 hits and a team-high eight stolen bases. Taylor Roby holds the team’s second highest batting average at .409 and leads the pitching staff with eight victories. At the plate, she’s registered 36 hits, including a team-high 11 home runs, and racked up 32 RBIs. In the circle, she’s put together a 2.79 ERA through 95.1 innings in 24 appearances. 

The Blue Devils are led by Deja Davis who averages a .400 batting percentage and tallies 23 runs, 42 hits, five homeruns, 21 RBIs and is 8-11 with stolen bases. Kristina Foreman adds 28 runs, 24 hits, five homeruns, 22 RBIs and is 10-for-11 in stolen bases.The Blue Devils lead the league with 56 doubles, Duke ranks ninth nationally and 40th with 1.56 doubles per game. 

In the circle, Peyton St. George posts a 2.01 ERA for the Blue Devils with four shutouts, 119 strikeouts and 11 win on the season. Shelby Walters carries a 1.08 ERA with two shutouts, 47 strikeouts and 11 wins.

 DID YOU KNOW? 

Fun fact: Blue Devils' Josh Bloomer joined the Duke softball staff as an assistant coach in July 2019. Bloomer comes to Durham from Louisville, Ky., where he served as the head coach at Louisville Male High School for seven seasons.  Bloomer joined after a successful campaign at Louisville Male High School, guiding his squad to NFCA and Kentucky state titles this past spring. 

His 2019 team put together a 39-0 ledger for only the second unbeaten season in program history and became the first team from the state of Kentucky to finish first in the country.  

As a Louisville Male HS Softball Alum ('09 & Pre-Bloomer) I am very excited to welcome Coach Bloomer back to town.  He has been spotted at Ulmer before supporting local players/teams and I had the opportunity to have him on my previous radio show.  He is a very talented coach! 

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It's a very busy weekend, #15 Louisville Lacrosse is also in action, bringing in Syracuse for two games, the first today at 3:00 p.m. at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium.  ACC Network Extra will have this match for you if you can't make it out. 

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Have a great start to your weekend Louisville fans! I made the trip over to Cardinal Stadium this week to get the first vaccine and you should too! Lets get back to big GAMEDAYS! Be sure to catch us on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast Saturday Morning at 11 a.m. ! 

Go Cards! 

~Daryl 

Louisville WBB -- Laemmle earns schloarship...Mystics advance in WNBA playoffs -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR JESSICA LAEMMLE

Louisville women's basketball sophomore Jessica Laemmle has been given a scholarship for the upcoming season. It couldn't have been awarded to a more dedicated, hard-working and team player than the diminutive  guard out of Louisville Mercy high school. 

When it was announced that Laemmle would walk on the Cardinal WBB squad last season, most Cardinal fans weren't real sure what they were getting in the 5'2" playmaker. Laemmle had turned in a very distinguished career at Mercy...leading her team to the Sixth Region championship game in her final year. She averaged 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists her senior season. She was the 2016 Louisville Catholic Sports Network Girls' Basketball Player of the Year, Courier-Journal all-second team, all-district, all-Sixth Region and all-Louisville Invitational Tournament team selection. She wasn't, however, being chased with the pursuit intensity of the other eventual freshmen on the squad....Kylee Shook, Sydney Zambrotta, Jasmine Jones, Bionca Dunham or Ciera Johnson. 

No top ESPNW 100 Hoop Gurlz recruiting ranking for her. Not even a three-star rating in the 2016 Kentucky players classification. 

Certainly enough accolades there from high school to earn her a scholarship to a mid-major Division I school or top flight DII or III college...but Jessica had a dream. She wanted to play for the Louisville Cardinals. Jeff Walz, realizing the fire and energy in the "Attack Yorkie", invited her to walk-on the squad...not having a scholarship available at the time to offer her. 

Playing time was hard to come by on the court but she did get into 21 games, played 111 minutes, and getting nine points and four steals with eight assists as one of the Cards back up guards. Her season high in points came in the first game of the year at UT Martin...where she hit a jumper and canned two free throws for four points. 

As the season progressed, fans in the KFC YUM! Center became enamored with her hustle, hard work and defense in the minutes she saw action. She got a season high 17 minutes of playing time against Boston College late in the season, hit her only shot and grabbed two rebounds in the Cardinal win. 

More importantly, she became a fan favorite...especially with the younger girls in attendance at games. They could look at her and dream that with hard work and effort, they just might be able to do the same someday. Watching the little girls flock to her for post-game autographs. No, she never made the post-game podium in the press room after a Cardinal WBB contest but her actions have far out-spoken anything she could ever say up there on the high-rise platform. We interviewed her for Cardinal Couple at the end of last season in the the Cards locker room. Typically, she was quick to praise her teammates and deflected any attempts to boast on her own efforts. You gotta love a girl like that.

Jessica goes at one speed....fast....and she's continually going. On a recent trip I made to the YUM! Practice facility...the court was empty except for her and Myisha Hines-Allen....Jessica guarding her closely as they practiced at 9 a.m. No coaches, just two players working on their game. 

Putting in the hours, never giving up and delivering her all. An example of what hard work will get you. Congratulations, Jessica. You went out, earned this and deserve it. 

Somewhere, I am pretty sure, in our fair city...whether it is on a outdoor goal perched on a garage or in an elementary school gymnasium...a young girl struggles to toss a basketball at a rim that seems a mile high in the sky...devoutly practicing each day so that she, too, can pursue the dream of playing for the Cards someday...just like Jessica does. 

When the dream becomes reality...it can be a cool experience. Attack Yorkies. Gotta love 'em. 

(Check out the announcement on Twitter under @UofLWBB or on our UofL Athletic twitter feed on The Right Side of the Site)




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MYSTICS ADVANCE IN WNBA PLAYOFFS. 

In what seemed more like a WWE Smackdown at times and maybe the longest last minute in actual time in WNBA history...the Washington Mystics outlasted the Dallas Wings last night in the first-round, single-elimination format 86-76. 

Elena Della Donne, sporting a tape job underneath her chin for the final minutes that made her look like she was growing a white beard led the Mystics with 25 points and 11 rebounds. She may have been the only one of the ten on the court that didn't get chippy or vicious in a game that involved four "rough play" sideline reviews, two technicals and a player ejection. 

Dallas' Glory Johnson probably didn't make any friends in DC last night. She may have thrown the sissiest punch ever on the hardwood...lightly tapping a surprised Emma Messeeman on the back. Aerial Powers showed her MMA prowess by putting a choke hold on the Mystics Tierra Ruffin-Pratt in a floor scramble. I thought I even saw Ronda Rousey warming up in the visitors tunnel. This was unabashed mayhem at times. More elbows were flying than at a chicken-wing eating contest.  

Oh, yeah. There was also a basketball game going on. The Mystics managed to blow a 13 point lead late in the first half to allow Dallas to tie the game up at the halftime buzzer. Washington also saw a 10 point lead dwindle late in the game until the Wings decided to start trying threes again (they were 2-20) and eventually staggered to the locker room the unanimous winner on all the judges cards. 

And, Asia Taylor never got a foot on the court except during timeouts. 

I hadn't been watching the WNBA much lately...with UofL sports getting into the swing of things...but I may need to return as a viewer. This one was better than the McGregor-Mayweather fight. 


paulie

xxxxx 

Jude Schimmel invited to Dallas WNBA tryout camp -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WILL THERE BE A BOOK ABOUT THIS?

If you are unfamiliar with the Dallas Wings WNBA franchise...don't beat yourself up over it. It is their first year of existence in the Lone Star state. Previously known as the Tulsa Shock and the Detroit Shock prior to that...they've re-landed in a community that has taken a great initial interest in them and provides a in-state rival now for San Antonio. 

The highly contested move (at least for the Tulsa folks) comes after they had their first over .500 record in the Tulsa portion of the franchise history in 2015. They also made the WNBA playoffs. An injury to Diggins slowed them down considerably...but they were showing signs of finally being competitive. 

They'll play in the beautiful University of Texas-Arlington College Park Center and former Louisville point guard Jude Schimmel will attend the tryouts beginning April 23rd. 

Schimmel faces a tough test in trying to make a roster that has Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims at starting guards with back ups Brianna Kiesel and Brittany Hrynko.

A WNBA squad will normally bring in 18-20 players to compete for the 10-11 spots available on the roster...the majority of these either from last year's team or with previous WNBA or European experience. 

Schimmel was a four year player for UofL and complied these stats as a Card:

Career Rankings
10th in assists with 392
7th in steals with 221
Tied for 9th in games played with 135
Tied for 1st in NCAA Tournament games played with 15


A tough challenge for Shoni's sister...no doubt. One wonders if there might be a possible book in the future on the experience? 

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Don't forget today is national banana day. Our staff chimps are going ga-ga over this...you can be assured. What's your favorite banana consumption style? Right out of the peel? In a smoothie or shake? Banana pancakes? Are bananas foster or a banana creme pie your style? We're big favorites of banana pudding and banana bread here at CARDINAL COUPLE and if you've never had an Elvis-style banana and peanut butter sandwich, you're missing out. 

We're going bananas here at the Couple today. We hope your Wednesday a"peels" to you as well...




paulie
xxxxx