Five former WBB Cards in WNBA -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 FIVE EX-CARDS ON WNBA ROSTERS. 

Jeff Walz is well-renown for developing talent to play at the next level. And that is evident in the 2026 WNBA rosters. Five Cards are in "the big show"

We covered Emily Engstler being on the Portland Fire yesterday. Add to the list Myisha Hines-Allen (Indiana Fever), Dana Evans (Las Vegas Aces), Sydney Taylor (Chicago Sky) and Laura Ziegler (Los Angeles Sparks) 

While it's true that three of the five didn't start at Louisville and transferred in to finish their college time..it's a sign that they came to Louisville to face tough competition and learn from the Cardinals coaches in hopes of continuing to play in the WNBA. 

Sydney Taylor spent her first four years of college at UMass. before coming to Louisville for a fifth season. She averaged 10.4 points a game in her only year at Louisville. 

Laura Ziegler spent three years at St. Joseph before transferring to Louisville.. Hailing from Denmark, she averaged 11 points a game in her final season of college basketball as a Cardinals starter .

Looking at the Cards projected 2026-27 roster, it's interesting to note that four players from last year's roster have transferred off the team. Peyton Bradley, Anaya Hardy, Isla Juffermans and Skylar Jones a have departed. Three are transferring in...Carys Baker from Virginia Tech, Zam Jones from NC State and Deniya Prawl from Tennessee are transferring in. and the freshmen are coming on board.

Are any of the upcoming seniors being considered for the WNBA?  As of now, there is only one senior, in Elif Istanbulluoglu. Out of Turkey, you've have to think her chances are good of making a WNBA roster after she graduates. She averaged over 10 points as a junior last year and her experience should make her one of the best players in the ACC this upcoming season. 

We like this "uniform" on Putra

A player I will watch with particular interest is Yevheniia Putra, who will be a sophomore this season...out of the Ukraine. The 21-year-old Putra also has a plethora of international experience with the Ukraine National Team. She put up 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds during the 2025 FIBA Women's Eurobasket, averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in the 2024 FIBA U20 Women's Eurobasket, as well as 14.5 points and 9.2 boards in the 2023 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.

Cards WBB is only four months away. This team looks to be potentially one of the best in Cards WBB history. I'm ready for tipoff, are you? 

paulie

 

CARDS in Sunday WNBA Action -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

FOUR CARDS IN SUNDAY WNBA GAMES

We are fond of following the pursuits of Louisville Cardinals women's basketball players in the WNBA and Sunday had four Cards in action. 

LAS VEGAS ACES 93 - CHICAGO SKY 80

Dana Evans did not start for the Sky, but saw 26 minutes in a loss to the 8-1 Aces. She managed 10 points for Chicago (5-5) and had a team high eight assists for the Sky. Home-standing Las Vegas is atop the Western Conference Standings and A'Ja Wilson had another huge game for Vegas. 

CONNECTICUT SUN 89 - ATLANTA DREAM 77

Two former Cards had the potential to face off in this one -- Liz Dixon (Connecticut) and AD Durr (Atlanta), but Dixon did not see action (a coach's decision). AD came off the bench for ATL and totaled 17 minutes of playing time and nine points. 

The Sun are atop the Eastern Conference with a 8-2 record and the Dream are still struggling a bit in the early season with a 2-5 mark. ATL trailed 48-44 at the half against the visiting Sun, but Connecticut won the decisive 4th quarter 24-17.

WASHINGTON MYSTICS 71 - SEATTLE 65

The visiting Mystics improved to 5-3 on the season with a win over 1-5 Seattle, a game that Washington led 46-21 at the half before coasting in. 

The Mystics are slowly working Myisha Hines-Allen back into the lineup and MHA saw 11 minutes and grabbed six rebounds. She also added a free throw to the Mystics win. The Mystics got the win without Elena Della Donne as well -- who sat with an undisclosed injury. 

Washington will visit Indiana Tuesday and Atlanta heads to New York. 

paulie

Not So Busy News Day - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Roster Listings Updated

Friday was busy, but there's not a whole lot happening on Saturdays, yet, though we're in the final countdown to activities happening that'll get the weekends hopping again.

The various programs, and particularly the fall sports playing programs, are getting active with plenty going on, just none of yet really outward facing.  One of those rituals that college sports teams all participate in, is picture day.  The first results we see from that are new headshots on updated rosters, and that's all done and dusted for at least the fall sports teams.

You can check out the updated rosters for Field Hockey, https://gocards.com/sports/field-hockey/roster; Women's Soccer, https://gocards.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster; and Volleyball, https://gocards.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster.

The roster pages are a great way to get to know who the new players on the teams are, both incoming freshman and transfers, and thanks to the new headshots, put a face to that name.  It can also be interesting to check out the highlight blurb from last year for your favorite player.  Of course, they're also reference material as we start trying to divine what starting lineups we'll see in the teams.

Of course, some of the photos will be used throughout the year in promotional shots, and they could get displayed on scoreboards, banners, posters, and more.

Photo day isn't just about still photos anymore, though.  UofL loves video bits to help fans get to see a bit of the personality and tidbits about the lives of the players.  These are those fun videos played on scoreboards during breaks in the action.  Some of these videos, or snippets from them, have made it to social media, and it looks like they had fun with them.

WNBA

Let's check in on our Basketball Cards in the pros again.

We've only got eight days left in the WNBA regular season.  The Chicago Sky, looking for back to back championships with Dana Evans have a two game lead over the Las Vegas Aces in the standings. at 24-8.  The Washington Mystics with Myisha Hines-Allen are in fifth, four games back at 20-13.  Atlanta Dream who are unfortunately, again, without the services of AD Durr are in seventh at 14-18.  The rookies and their squads are at the bottom of the listings, Kianna Smith who is back with her fourth go around just this season with the Los Angeles Sparks in second to last sporting a 12-20 record, and Emily Engstler's Indiana Fever bringing up the rear at 5-29.

The Fever were in action yesterday in, what you might guess, based on that record, a 95-91 loss against the Dallas Wings.  Engster played right at half the game, got a three pointer, unfortunately missed a pair of free throws, but contributed well on the defensive side of the ball with a trio of rebounds, a pair of steals, and a blocked shot.

In today's action, Evans and the Sky start it off at 1pm against the 3rd place Connecticut Sun.  Find this one on ABC.  Also, Smith and the Sparks visit Hines-Allen and the Mystics at 3pm on ESPN3 or NBC Sports.  Another interesting matchup that doesn't have any UofL rooting interests is the Aces visiting 4th place Seattle Storm, also at 3pm, and on ABC following the Sky game.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

It was a fearsome foursome pontificating on the podcast yesterday.  Case, back off Covid; Jared, with a variety of maladies, and a healthy Paulie and myself all joined in.  Daryl was off baby-sitting, and I don't think anyone can fault her for being an awesome aunt.

We covered news from Field Hockey, Softball, and Women's Basketball, and we previewed our first competition of the season, the Women's Soccer exhibition against Cincinnati.

It's always a good time, and you can check it out at your favorite podcast directory, or go directly to the source at https://anchor.fm/cardinal-couple/episodes/Fall-Sports-on-the-Horizon-e1m66m1.

JMcA

Anticipation - Sunday Cardinal Couple

Hints of Activity

There are indications on campus of sports gearing up for the beginning of the school year.

Of course, our favorite athletes and coaching staffs keep plenty busy throughout the summer, just in ways that we don't typically see as much.  But some visible signs of the times are starting to be seen.

WBB moves in to the new Denny Crum Hall

Rosters have been updated on the official GoCards site for all of the sports that I checked, with new head shots from recently completed photo days.  Athletes are moving in to their new housing.  And tomorrow, the calendar flips over to a new month where we can see official events.  The first of those events, a Women's Soccer exhibition game, is less than two weeks away, even!

I hope you're as excited as I am getting for fall sports to begin.  It won't be long, now.

Hines-Allen Shoe Auction

The Mystics have created an event where they are auctioning several pairs of custom sneakers, hand drawn by artist Sammy Handler around themes picked by the athlete that will be wearing the shoes.  The proceeds from the auctions will go to charities picked by the athlete.  Myisha Hines-Allen is one of the athletes participating and the theme of her shoes is animal adoption, with proceeds from her shoe auction will go to the Humane Rescue Alliance.

Myisha Hines-Allen and Ace

The shoes are custom Nike Air Force 1s and have depictions of the Washington D.C. skyline, Hines-Allen's number two jersey, the Mystics logo, and most adorably, her dog, Ace.

Beware, if you want to bid, that the current (at the time of writing) bids for all of the shoes are at least $800, with Ace helping to draw a current bid of $1,000.  Elena Della Donne's Pride and The Trevor Project themed shoes are approaching $2,000.

Myisha Hines-Allen's custom Nike Air Force 1s
featuring Ace

CCRHP Break

We took a week off from the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast this week as a confluence of scheduling events conspired against us.

We should be back next week with, (and if this doesn't drive home how close the fall seasons are getting, nothing will) an actual game preview for Women's Soccer in exhibition against Cincinnati.

- JMcA

A WNBA Sunday -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 FEVER HOLD ON AGAINST SKY...MYSTICS HANDLE SUN

A big day for WNBA action on Father's Day, with four Cardinals alumnae in action in the league. 

Dana Evans with the Chicago Sky visiting Emily Engstler and the Indiana Fever.  Myshia Hines-Allen and the Washington Mystics hosting Jaz Jones and the Connecticut Sun. 

(Just imagine what a double-header like this would draw to the KFC YUM! Center).  

SKY VS FEVER

Dana and her 10-5 Chicago Sky came to Indy to take on a Indiana Fever squad that desperately needed a win. And, after being down by 13 at halftime, the Fever fought back and got  the nail-biting win over the visitors 89-87. Courtney Vandersloot missed a jumper that could have tied it up and the Fever had the "W". Indiana improved their record to 5-13. 

"We had a very intense conversation at halftime, to say the least..." Fever head coach Carlos Knox commented after the game. "I wanted them to understand the game plan and I wanted them to pick up their game the way we had prepared for the game." It was Knox's inaugural game as the Fever head coach, you may know him as having been a superstar at IUPUI on their men's team from 1997-99. 

Emily Engstler saw 19 minutes in this one for the Fever and had five points and nine rebounds.  Dana Evans had six minutes for Chicago and had two points and a rebound. 

MYSTICS VS SUN

The home-standing Washington Mystics roared out to a 29-17 lead on the visiting Connecticut Sun and pushed that to a 16-point half-time edge. Washington was on top 61-41 after three. The Sun were not totally giving up the fight and got back within eight points before losing 71-63 to Myisha and the Mystics. Washington improved to 11-7 on the season, while the Sun went to 12-5.

Myisha saw just six minutes in the contest, grabbing a rebound and scoring a bucket. 

For Connecticut, Jaz Jones contributed a scoreless eight minutes. It's good to see Jaz getting some minutes after being with the Sun for such a short time. 

Turnovers plagued the Sun, while Washington committed just four in the first three quarters  

paulie

 

Pastor Award -- Golf Transfer -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 Pastor Wins Award

Louisville Field Hockey's Mercedes Pastor is remarkable player and the rest of the country continues to recognize that. The Argentinian was named the NFHCA West Region Player of the Year.

This is her third straight NFHCA All-West Region honors. She was named ACC Player of the Week four times and the NFHCA Player of the Week three times.

The NFHCA Awards Show will be live-streamed on YouTube next week on June 15, 2021. At that time, the All-Americans and the National Player of the Year will be announced. Pastor will join the other Region Players of the Year Erin Matson (UNC, South Region), Jonna Kennedy (Boston College, Northeast Region), Sophie Hamilton (UConn, Mideast Region), and Gianna Glatz (Rutgers, Mid-Atlantic Region) as nominees for National Player of the Year.

Pastor has hopes to return to Louisville for one final season this fall and we all hope that we will see her rep the red and black jersey one more time.

Kendall Griffin Joins Golf

Louisville women's golf signed a transfer with Kendall Griffin coming to Louisville for her final year of eligibility.

Griffin joins the Cards after four years at LSU where she accumulated a 75.28 career stroke average. She had two top-10 and one top-five finish as a senior and finished tied for fifth in the SEC Championship.

"We're so excited to sing Kendall as a graduate student," said Coach Whitney Young. "She has had a very successful career at LSU and we look forward to bringing her energy, experience, and passion to the University of Louisville. She will make an immediate impact on our program and help us in reaching our National Championship aspirations for 2022. The addition of Kendall really caps off what was an already exciting 2021 class."

Adding Griffin will be a huge asset as Lauren Hartladge has concluded her collegiate career. The Cards made the NCAA Regional round this season and hosted their first ever NCAA Regional.

WCWS Set

I opted to watch the new Conjuring movie (did you know there's eight films in the Conjuring Universe now?) over the WCWS. The action, though, was dramatic and surprising for those who did and those who played.

In the first game of the day, James Madison University started the game with a first pitch home run for a quick 1-0 lead. It was all Oklahoma after that as the 1-seed scored seven unanswered to win 7-1. However, the attention was focused on Oddicci Alexander and the career she had with JMU.

The second game saw 10-seed Florida State square off against 3-seed Alabama. The Seminoles started the game with a three-run home run off Montana Fouts, In fact, Fouts got pulled early as FSU held an 8-2 lead after three innings. The Crimson Tide tried to rally but it ultimately was the ACC powerhouse earning the 8-5 win.

Game One of the best-of-three series between Oklahoma and Florida State begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. You can check that game out during commercial breaks of the Lynx vs Mystics and Wings vs Mercury games. Myisha Hines-Allen had an incredible welcome back performance for the Mystics and she will try to help Washington break their losing streak.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Sunday Cardinal Couple

 WNBA Check-in

A moment of editorial, if you will, before we check on results in the WNBA.  While there was some concern about the frequency of games in the WNBA this year, with teams playing every 2nd or 3rd day, compared to the more typical one a week of WNBA scheduling, I must say that I have been thoroughly enjoying the ability to pretty much sit down and turn on an WNBA game any day of the week.  Perhaps, in future seasons, the league could consider more frequent games, even if not at the frenetic pace of this year's schedule.  But, anyway, let's check in on our Cards.

The Washington Mystics looked unbeatable in the opening week of the season but now?  I'm not really sure what has happened.  They won the opening trio of games, but now have dropped the next seven.  The most recent 73-88.  Admittedly, they played the Las Vegas Aces yesterday, who are sitting at 2nd place in the league with a record of 8-2.

This matchup, of course, pits Myisha Hines-Allen vs Angel McCoughtry.

Neither of our alumnae had stellar games in this one, but neither does anything to apologize for on the court.  Hines-Allen may have been the most help for the Mystics on the boards, with seven rebounds, but she did contribute nine points to go along with them.  A near double-double is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it's not the headline grabbing numbers we saw at the beginning of the year.

McCoughtry got 11 points, but was otherwise not a huge factor on the stats sheet with a trio of rebounds and an assist.

The evening game saw the New York Liberty get...well, thumped is about the only way to put it, by the Minnesota Lynx.  The final in this one 94-64.  Perhaps Muffet McGraw can chime in and help the Liberty figure out how to bounce back from a drubbing like that.  The Liberty, as has been discussed here plenty, have a roster replete with rookies, including Jaz Jones and Kylee Shook.

Kylee Shook put up nine points, three rebounds, and it wouldn't be a Kylee Shook game without a blocked shot.  A couple of clips made the Liberty social media feed, including a trey from beyond the arc with the assist to Jaz Jones.

Speaking of Jaz Jones, she got a highlight reel of her own from the Liberty after getting a team high 13 points, four rebounds and a couple of dimes, including the aforementioned one to Shook.  A coast-to-coast, shooting from range, a spin cycle, a euro-step, the dime to Shook, and finishing with some no-foul contact, all made the clip.

No Cards in action today with all of them on the court yesterday,   Wings and Mercury at 1pm, Storm and Sun at 3pm, and Sky vs Dream at 4pm.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

(Rumors of Paulie's defection to NC State to join cover Wes Moore and Mr & Ms. Wuf have not been confirmed) 

Let's say it was three and a half of us on the show yesterday.  Jared was banking, but a slow day let him listen in and chime in with some comments and quiz answers in our chat feature.  Otherwise, well, let's just say we were all in some sort of mood for this one.

Plenty of Covid-19 related news to digest, WNBA analysis, and a really fun quiz made up the show yesterday.  "Who Am I?" was the theme for the quiz. See if you can do better than us in the rebroadcast below. In a battle to the wire, I managed to eke out perennial winner Jared by a mere 10 points, 70-60. Case "also participated" 

The quiz is always great fun and Paulie threw a very, very tough one at us with the "Who Am I" format.

Check it out!

Jaz, Kylee and Liberty try Myisha and Mystics tonight -- Softball adds graduate manager -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

WNBA 7 PM GAME FEATURES CARDINALS

We took a brief departure from following our Louisville WNBA Cards yesterday -- to review the events, actions and programs that were involved and that caused COVID-19 to strike the UofL campus among the student-athletes. And,

 As far as previewing anything for last night, no Cardinal WBB players were in action in the WNBA triple-header.

 Just to catch you up, the Sue Bird-less Seattle Storm had to walk out of the bubble feeling very lucky Thursday evening. They blew an almost-20 point lead in the final quarter but still managed to down Atlanta 93-92. 

Did anyone mention former Texas A&M star Chennedy Carter might be sorta good? The rookie blistered Seattle for 35 points in 36 minutes last night. 

In other games. the Connecticut Sun clipped the Dallas Wings 91-68. Dallas playing the role of Icarus and flying too close to the Sun, I suppose. 

Phoenix is overcoming their slow league start quite nicely and is now 5-2 with a win over Chicago in a battle of 4-2 teams. When you have Diana Taurasi and Brit Griner putting in 22 points each for you, you're probably going to win most nights out.

Tonight is the fun night for fans of ex-UofL WBB greats, though.

The games begin at 6 p.m. when our neighbors to the north (the Indiana Fever) look to get back to .500 against a Minnesota Lynx team that comes at you most nights with Napheesa Collier and Sylvia Fowles. "Big Syl" is averaging a double-double but sat out the Lynx last game -- a win over New York -- with a calf injury.

Then, at 7 p.m. match of three Cardinals, when Jaz Jones and Kylee Shook look for their first win as New York Liberty players against Myisha and the Washington Mystics. After a scorching start to the season, the Mystics (3-2) have cooled off a bit in their last two games -- falling to You can't point the finger of blame on "Mooks" though...Myisha Hines-Allen is averaging 17.6 points per game and 9,6 rebounds.

This should be a fun one, watching Myisha go up against Kylee. Maybe the Liberty will see fit to giving Kylee and Jaz a bit more time on the court. I mean, seriously...your team is 0-5 Walt Hopkins....what do you have to lose? The two have already created a few highlight reel moments with their passing and scoring and deserved the extra minutes...(in my humble opinion, of course...I'm not ready to replace Hopkins or Deb Antonelli as a font of knowledge).

Angel and the Aces get the night game (9 p.m.) and it should be a great one with two 3-2 teams going at each other. The Los Angeles Sparks are the opponent and it's Candace Parker vs.Angel McCoughtry ! Angel is averaging 14.4 points per game in five contests and looking like the Angel of old. 

Viewing opportunities for tonight's games:with our Cardinals are on ESPN 2. 

SOFTBALL ADDS GRADUATE MANAGER

University of Louisville softball coach Holly Aprile has announced that Hannah Dossett will join her staff as a graduate manager starting in August 2020.
 
"We are very grateful to have Hannah join our staff as a graduate manager," said Aprile. "Hannah embodies our core values and brings a ton of great experience to our program as a former ACC Academic Honor Roll student-athlete.  Her work ethic and knowledge base will be a very positive addition to our staff."
 
Dossett, a native of Warsaw, Ky., was a four-year starter at Syracuse, suiting up for the Orange from 2016 through 2019.
 
Throughout her career, the catcher/infielder helped Syracuse to 109 victories and four ACC Championship appearances and stands tied for third on the program's all-time list for sacrifice flies with six. In 2016, Dossett made an immediate impact during her rookie season, starting all 52 games and tallying five home runs, 10 doubles and a triple while driving in 23 RBI and scoring 23 runs. In 2019, she registered a career-best .289 season batting average.
 
Dossett represented the softball team on the Syracuse Student-Athlete Advisory in all four of her seasons. She was also successful in the classroom as a four-time ACC All-Academic Honor Roll and Syracuse Dean's List selection.
 
She earned her bachelor's degree in business management from Syracuse in 2019.

Have a fantastic Friday!

paulie

xxxxx

 

All Four Cardinal WBB WNBA Players Tonight -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ANGEL, MYISHA, JAZ AND KYLEE

One of those rare nights tonight where we get to see all four of the Cardinal WBB WNBA professionals on the court on the same evening. 

Beginning at 7 p.m., it'll be Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook looking for their first win in the WNBA for the New York Liberty against a Minnesota Lynx squad that has started well with a 3-1 record.

Let's face it, New York has some shoes to fill without rookie Sabrina Ionescu at point. Whether Layshia Clarendon is the answer at point remains to be seen. Kia Nurse can score, she proved that against the Mercury with 17 points, but just one assist raises a few questions. 

Jazmine Jones is a talented, athletic guard but lacks the point guard experience, having played with some great ones at Louisville and never having to be the point. It might be a long night for the Liberty. I'd like to see a few more minutes for Kylee tonight and see if that three-point shot she had at Louisville is still an effective weapon. 

NBA TV will show this contest

Then, at 8 p.m., we get a special bonus when it's Angel McCoughtry and her Las Vegas Aces agains Myisha Hines Allen and her Washington Mystics. 

A win for Myisha (named the Player of the Week for the WNBA) and her squad would tie them for first place in the standings. They'll have a tough task against the potent duo of Angel an A'ja on the Mystics, though and Ariel Atkins has been filling up the bucket, too for DC. 

ESPN2 will show the contest.

In "news of the weird", what in the wide world of sports is going on in Atlanta? Is team owner and U.S. senator appointee Kelly Loeffler deliberately trying to upset an entire league and its fan base? 

Last night, teams were sporting shirts urging votes for Loeffler's November opponent Raphael Warnock. This one's just getting started, friends. 

We still have five months left in 2020. Grab your popcorn and have a seat.

WNBA STANDINGS

Chicago        4-1

Seattle          4-1

Washington  3-1

Minnesota    3-1

Phoenix        3-2

Las Vegas    2-2

Los Angeles 2-2

Indiana         2-2

Dallas           2-2

Atlanta         2-3

New York      0-4

Connecticut  0-5

REQUESTED

I've had several requests for the video of the UofL WBB players in practice that was made mention of in Walz's latest teleconference. Here ya go, link below: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0nnpop80hno67ck/Presser%20August%203.mp4?dl=0 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie

xxxxx

 

MYISHA, MYSTICS TO GO 3-0 -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

HINES-ALLEN HAS 17 IN WASHINGTON'S 89-71 WIN. 

Last night's showdown between 2-0 Washington and 2-0 Seattle last night was hyped as a contest between the WNBA's best offense (Washington) and the top defense (Seattle). The Mystics showed early on that they were a multi-player, multi-talented squad and jumped all over Seattle's defense early. To use a phrase, DC threw an umbrella of threes over any Storm front.

Going up 12-2 in the early going, the Mystics were connecting from the outside. Although Myisha Hines-Allen wasn't the architect of the early offense, she was solid on the defense and doing other key things like creating assists and grabbing rebounds that helped the Mystics roll out to a first quarter 21-14 lead and a half-time 50-32 advantage. The Storm had been reduced to a weak front that was dying out, in meteorological lingo.  

The Storm seemed to be a step slow on defense, Sue Bird wasn't flying and the Seattle run never came. 

In the second half, the emphasis slightly changed and Washington turned Hines-Allen loose inside. She ended up punishing the Seattle front line for 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Storm probably should have asked Siri "how do you stop Washington?"...because whatever they were trying wasn't the answer   Just how good are Hines-Allen and Emma Meeserman inside for Washington? The score stood at 71-50 after three and Seattle turned to the bench to see if they could fire up a rally. That seemed to help, the Storm cutting the lead to 14 with 4:40 left in the contest at 74-62. 

Panic time for the Mystics? Nope, didn't happen, nothing to worry about. Washington owned the rest of the final quarter 15-9 and got the "W". 

Not enough can be said about Myisha's all-around game last night.  We watched her as "the enforcer" during her time at Louisville and she's re-assumed the role for DC. With the Chicago Sky falling in a close one to the Minnesota Lynx last night, Washington is now the only undefeated team (3-0) in the WNBA. 

As Hines-Allen left the court last night, someone or something caught her attention and the viewers got to see that beautiful Hines-Allen smile. She has earned the right to smile and be happy about "life in the wubble" so far. Let's hope the smiles keep coming for "Mooks".  She's put in the work and deserves to reap the rewards. 

So far, Myisha is the fifth leading scorer in the league with a 20.0 points per game average. 

Washington takes on the Chicago Sky next on Saturday.

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

In other WNBA action, the Minnesota Lynx knocked off Chicago in a thriller 83-81. The L.A. Sparks kept the Connecticut Sun winless with a 81-76 win.  

Tonight, Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones look for their first WNBA win when they face Atlanta. This 6 p.m. game is on NBA TV, so if that's part of your cable, dish or Internet subscription package, have fun and enjoy it. Is it just me, but do the Liberty need to get Sabrina Ionescu to focus a little more on her teammates instead of trying to set scoring records? I mean, sure, she's great and all that but the Liberty are 0-2, so she can't be all that effective. Still a rookie, though. Plenty of time to adapt and put the needs of the team in front of the needs of the one. . 

 The late game (10 p.m.) has Angel and the Las Vegas Aces against Phoenix. This one will be on CBS Sports Network. I'm redy for some more McCoughtry magic, how about you? 

Good luck to our Cardinal WBB greats tonight!  

Have a fun Friday. 

paulie

xxxxx

  

 

WNBA Season Opening - Sunday Cardinal Couple

WNBA Gets Underway

Washington Mystics

WNBA fans, say hello to Myisha Hines-Allen.  Mooks, a nickname she uses in her social media handles, has been at the front and center of social media in the Wubble leading up to the beginning of the WNBA season.  She demonstrated that she has no intention of stepping back in the shadows on the court.

With Elena Della Donne and Tina Charles not being on the court for the Washington Mystics (Della Donne is still recovering from back issues, and Tina Charles was granted an exemption from the season for medical purposes), the runway was cleared for Hines-Allen to take off and shine.

Myisha dropped 14 points, in the first quarter, and had a career high 22 points by halftime.  She would go on to complete a double-double in the game with 27 points and 10 rebounds.  She went 3-4 beyond the arc...which is a new element to her game since her time at UofL...and 11-17 from the field overall.

It's fair to point out that this is only Myisha's 2nd career WNBA start.  The Mystics have lost some significant contributors to their championship run from last year, and while the season is just barely underway, this may be a case of reloading instead of rebuilding.

New York Liberty

Other Cards in the Pros were in the league opening game, the NY Liberty vs the Seattle Storm.  The
Storm, lead by Breanna Stewart, Jewell Lloyd, and Sue Bird would be victorious over the Liberty, 87-71.

The Liberty sport a trio of Cardinals on their roster, with Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones being the newcomers, and the active players, on the team while Asia Durr has been granted a medical exemption for the season.

Only Kylee Shook would see action, with a report that Jazmine Jones is nursing a bit of an ankle sprain.

Shook played almost 12 minutes of game time, scored the first field goal of her WNBA career, and pulled down a rebound.

Layshia Clarendon was the clear leader for the Liberty with 20 points, while the heralded rookie Sabrina Ionescu put in 12 points.

Stewie's 18 points would lead the Storm to the win, Lloyd got 14, and Sue Bird contributed 11.

Las Vegas Aces

Angel McCoughtry is the other UofL alumna playing in the WNBA.  They weren't on the court yesterday, with their season opener against the Chicago Sky being today at 3pm EDT.  You can catch this one on ESPN streaming.

Some of the other will known names on the roster for the Aces are Liz Cambage, Kayla McBride, Kelsey Plum, and A'ja Wilson.  Plum is not active as she is still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon last season.

Who to watch with the Sky?  The always entertaining Stefanie Dolson, rookie Ruthy Hebard, and a whole gang of guards; Diamond Deshields, Allie Quigley, and Courtney Vandersloot.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

A slim line-up for the CCRH yesterday, with only Paulie and I able to make the call.  Case was off
again working on preparing for the Professional Engineering exam, while Jared was back at the financial institution making sure people were wearing masks.

We previewed the WNBA action and shared a bit about life in the Wubble.  We wrapped up a bit about the FGCL and the success of Jordyn Wolfe and Paige Schindler in Bradenton.  I was able to bring out a little bit of extra information about Tess Clark heading to Alcombendas Volleyball in Spain.

We kept it a little short so folks switch over to the Liberty game starting at noon.  Check it out below.

JMcA

WNBA Begins Saturday -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FOUR CARDINAL WBB STARS TAKE TO THE COURT THIS WEEKEND

For those of us who enjoy and follow the WNBA pursuits, the wait is almost over. Opening weekend begins tomorrow for the WNBA -- with three games on Saturday and three on Sunday. 


Kicking off the action are the New York Liberty vs. the Seattle Storm. This match-up included two Cardinal WBB greats in Kylee Shook and Jazmine Jones. They'll be a part of a Liberty squad that tries to get an opening game win against 2018 WNBA MVP Brenna Stewart and her Seattle Storm teammates. The contest is slated to be shown on ESPN and a noon start time (ET). The Liberty are without Asia Durr but have #1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu.


Next up, at 3 p.m. on ABC a west-coast battle in the IMG Academy "dome" between the L.A. Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury. You want All-Star talent on the court? How about Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner on the court. 

The final Saturday contest will put the Indiana Fever up against the defending champion Washington Mystics. Cardinal Myisha Hines-Allen plays for the Mystics. Game coverage switches to CBS Sports Network and a 5 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.


The remaining six teams in the WNBA get it started on Sunday. 

The noon game puts 2019 WNBA runner-ups Connecticut against the Minnesota Lynx. This one is an ESPN game.

Our Angel McCoughtry is up after that, as she and the Las Vegas Aces face the Chicago Sky. You can follow the Aces and Angel on ABC. 3 p.m. is the schedule start time for this one.

Closing out weekend action is the Dallas Wings vs. Atlanta Dream. We go back to CBS Sports Network for the finale and 5 p.m. is the scheduled start.  

Certainly, the WNBA appreciates the televised coverage, but one has to slightly shake one's head at the "cover-all" bingo approach with bouncing back and forth between the various networks and channels. Advertising revenues are certainly appreciated  by the league, though, since the fan base isn't a factor in the season yet...so I guess we should be happy that there is coverage. Just getting to watch some exciting basketball far outweighs having to have the remote handy. 

Best of luck to our Cardinals and their squads in the games and we'll certainly miss seeing Asia Durr perform for the Liberty. We wish Asia the best as she recoups, recovers and readies herself for a return to the hardwood after contracting COVID-19. 

Here's hoping all goes well in this new experiment for the league.  WNBA Tip-Off 2020 is one we'll probably remember for a long time because of the nature, circumstances, situation and precautions -- at least the league isn't cancelled or being put off until winter. 2020 has been weird. 

Like you, I'll miss the fan bases at the games. But, with the way things are these days, it's just something we have to get used to until things get better. 

Here's a fun thought to ponder. 

If you could build a WNBA team of former Cardinal WBB players, who would be on it? 11 UofL players you'd want on that roster? 

 I'll offer Asia Taylor, Asia Durr, Arica Carter, Angel McCoughtry, Kylee Shook, Sam Fuehring, Myisha Hines-Allen, Jazmine Jones, Jazz Covington, Monique Reid and Candyce Bingham. Your thoughts? 



Leave your roster in the comments section. 

Have a fantastic Friday!


paulie
xxxxx 

Shook, Jones Make the Cut -- Back to campus for some -- Leon, Forrest All-Americans -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

NEW YORK LIBERTY ANNOUNCES FINAL ROSTER

University of Louisville WBB greats Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook are in the bigs. 

The New York Liberty announced their 12-player roster... along with the other WNBA franchises yesterday...and Jones and Shook are part of that roster, along with another former Cardinal great, Asia Durr. 

Head Liberty coach Walt Hopkins has a squad that will include six rookies, five former ACC players, three former UConn Huskies and the #1 WNBA draft pick -- Sabrina Ionescu. 

The WNBA has not come out yet with a starting date yet for team training camps, preseason games nor the regular season start. 

There is more good news for Louisville women's basketball fans. Angel McCoughtry is on the Las Vegas Aces 12-player roster and Myisha Hines-Allen is named on the Washington Mystics roster. 

The complete NY Liberty roster is listed below by player, position and former college: 



Rebecca Allen -- guard -- Australia
Layshia Clarendon -- guard -- University of California
Asia Durr -- guard -- Louisville
Sabrina Ionescu -- guard -- Oregon
Jazmine Jones -- guard -- Louisville
Kia Nurse -- guard -- UConn
Leanna Odom -- forward -- Duke
Kylee Shook -- forward -- Louisville
Kiah Stokes -- center -- UConn 
Megan Walker -- forward -- forward
Jocelyn Willoughby -- forward -- Virginia
Amanda Zahui B -- center -- Minnesota 


BACK TO CAMPUS TODAY FOR SOME

Across the NCAA Collegiate landscape today, a return to campus for certain student-athletes. At Louisville, Vince Tyra announced the proposed return of 30 football student-athletes today and 15 basketball student athletes. 

The first week will be one of instruction for the returnees. Safety, hygiene, social distancing and other important factors involved in staying free from the Coronavirus are on the agenda for those return. This is Phase I of the four phase return of student-athletes to the Cardinal Belknap campus.The return is voluntary. 

We have a request out to see just which UofL WBB student-athletes will show up today. To that point, we've requested an interview with Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz about which of his players will participate in the first group of instructions and open gyms (which is tentatively scheduled to occur in early June). We'll run that requested interview here if we get a confirmation.   

Just guessing here, but we probably won't see in the first group Norika Konno, due to the travel requirements and such from Japan.

Hailey Van Lith is finishing up classes and has yet to go through graduation ceremonies in Washington. Merrisah Russell is coming in from Canada, so there might be a delay there as well. 

Other later arrivals could include Kianna Smith and Ramani Parker, who both live in California. All this is purely speculation, though, and we've sent our Jared Anderson out to Louisville International Airport with a camera to park outside the arrival terminal and...

 --- nah, we're just kidding here about Jared -- we'll know when we know. 


GABRIELLE LEON AND MAKENLI FORREST ALL-AMERICANS

The University of Louisville’s Gabriela Leon and Makenli Forrest have been named 2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field All-Americans as announced by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) today.

Both earned the honor after qualifying for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships which were slated to be held March 13-14, but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check out the complete release from the USTFCCCA here http://www.ustfccca.org/2020/05/featured/2020-ncaa-division-i-indoor-track-field-all-america

Forrest, a junior from Ellenwood, Ga., was one of just 16 athletes that qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the weight throw.  Her throw of 22.11m/72’06” at the Tyson Invitational ranked 11^th in the nation and she never finished out of the top four during the 2020 indoor season. This marks the third All-America accolade for Forrest, who earned first team honors after posting a runner-up finish in the hammer throw at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. As a freshman she earned second team Indoor All-America honors after a 15^th place finish in the weight throw.

Leon (Grand Rapids, Mich.) set a school record mark of 4.40m/14’05” in the pole vault at the 2020 ACC Indoor Championships and earned a second place finish while picking up first-team All-ACC honors for the second straight season. The junior entered the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championship ranked 11^th in the nation. As a freshman, she earned second team Outdoor All-America honors in pole vault.

Gabriela Leon – Pole Vault – USTFCCCA Indoor Track & Field All-American

Makenli Forrest – weight throw - USTFCCCA Indoor Track & Field All-American

Have a wonderful Wednesday!


paulie
xxxxx