Asia Taylor trying to earn the jersey...Mulkey to leave -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

TAYLOR PROVIDING THE MINUTES ON MYSTIC ROSTER

Asia Taylor will tell you that playing in the WNBA has been one of her major dreams since she was a little girl growing up in Columbus, OH. She looked like the second coming of Angel McCoughtry in her high school career until a devastating leg injury her senior year sidelined her. 

The Asia Taylor that arrived at Louisville wasn't 100%. Far from it. Other injuries basically had her playing below the capabilities she always knew she had. Jeff Walz continued to believe...knowing that the high school star he recruited and brought to campus had the potential. Finally, it came to pass. A senior season that was a bit of a redemption tour for her...after having to sit and watch her team go to the Final Four in 2013...drew enough interest to where she was selected in the third round of the WNBA draft and ended up with the Minnesota Lynx. 

It was a valuable season as far as gaining experience. The playing time was limited for a rookie on a solid and veteran roster. Last year, the Connecticut Sun needed a reserve to finish out the season and Taylor answered the call. 

Sydney, Australia was the next stop. A chance to be one of the big fish on a hard knocking and competitive team that played in a hard-scrabble and competitive league. Now completely healthy and still possessed with the goal to play in the WNBA again, Taylor had a huge season for the Sydney Flames and caught the eyes of Washington Mystics head coach and GM Mike Thibault and owner Sheila Johnson. They had already acquired Elena Della Donne for the roster and were looking to build a complement of players around her. Based on her play in Sydney and reputation for hard work, Taylor got the invite to be a free agent for the Mystics. 

Last night the Mystics played their final exhibition game...against the powerful Minnesota Lynx. Della Donne sat out the contest...resting a minor groin strain suffered in practice. Emma Meesseman and Kristi Tolliver still haven't arrived from Europe...where they are trying to win the Russian Premier League title for their squad...so the Mystics were without three of the main players expected to lead the Mystics this year. They suffered a 74-59 loss to the visitors. 

Taylor did not draw the start but came off the bench and led the reserves in minutes played (18) and points (6). In the previous exhibition, Asia led the squad in scoring (13) in a win over the Indiana Fever. 

It's not hard to envision Taylor sticking with the Mystics for the season. Depending on how many they keep on the squad...one can see her as a valuable reserve at the forward spot.  The Mystics are currently carrying six forwards on the roster...besides Della Donne and Taylor...Krystal Thomas, Tianna Hawkins, Ally Malott and Caira Washington are currently on the squad. Meesseman is the only listed center. One would expect the forward contingent would get trimmed to four or five...Taylor valuable in the aspect that she can also provide minutes at guard if needed. 

Keeping pushing, A-Tayy. From Columbus to Louisville to Minnesota to Connecticut to Sydney to Washington sounds like a businessman's nightmare trip...but, for #31...it's a pursuit of a dream. 


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MULKEY LEAVING OKLAHOMA

No, this isn't about Kim Mulkey leaving Baylor. It would probably take a SWAT team or a group of Navy Seals to get her out of her entrenchment in Waco, TX. 

It is about 6'9" freshman center Nancy Mulkey (no relation to Kim). She's decided that one year of being a Sooner is enough and has been granted her release from Oklahoma WBB.  

A question posed to me last night about Louisville's interest in her gave me cause for thought. Height is always good. Good height, though, is better. 

Mulkey, in 33 games, averaged 3.8 pts., 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. She's a work in progress and could probably use a season of intense coaching and teaching to utilize her height. 

Would Louisville take the chance and do the Cards have any interest? These are questions that I do not have the answer to. A talented 6'9" post would have obvious advantages. Might even look impressive in the warm-up line and on the bench cheering. Do you use a scholarship for that, though? 

The guess here is that she ends up at a mid-major or lower where she can get minutes and flourish against a group of MAAC or Missouri Valley Conference type of competition. 

6'9", though. It does make one wonder...


paulie
xxxxx

Juneau BIG EAST Golfer of the year, Bria Smith news, Rowing ready for BIG EAST.

SATURDAY with CARDINAL COUPLE:

Anna-Karin Ljungstorm joined Juneau
and Laura Anderson on the All-
BIG EAST first team.

-Sara-Maude named BIG EAST Golfer of the Year

-Bria Smith gets a visit from Sherry Coale

-Louisville rowing ready for BIG EAST Championships

Louisville senior Sara-Maude Juneau earned her second straight BIG EAST Player of the Year honor, announced by the conference office on Friday. Fellow senior Laura Anderson and sophomore Anna-Karin Ljungstrom joined her on the All-BIG EAST team.

Juneau led the BIG EAST with a 73.15 scoring average and was ranked #19 in the country. She participated in nine tournament this year...winning the Irish Invitational and gathering five top five finishes.

Anderson made the All-BIG EAST team for the fourth straight year.
She was third on the team in stroke average. She had three top twenty finishes this season and one in the top ten.

Anna-Karin Ljungstrom gathers her second straight BIG EAST honor. She had two top five finishes on the links and came in second in the BIG EAST Championships...losing in a sudden death playoff.

The Cards will participate in the NCAA Championships, ranked #13 in the East Regional. They tee it up beginning Friday, May 5th.

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Sherry Coale, head coach at Oklahoma, made a surprise visit to Bria Smith's Christ the King high school on Thursday. Coale got a talk in with head coach Bob Mackey and Smith and then left. Smith's reaction to the visit?

"It means they want you." A lot of people do. Mackey referred to the fact he had talked to over 100 coaches since Smith de-committed from Virginia following Debbie Ryan's retirement. Smith has made two visits...to Tennessee and Louisville and says she could visit two more schools before she makes her decision. That decision could come at the NY Daily News basketball awards dinner at B.B. King Blues Club on May 10th. Who's the leaders for her services?

Sherri Coale is the head coach at Oklahoma. She
paid an unannounced visit to Bria Smith and her coach.

"I'm not really sure. I made two trips this spring break, I think that's enough for spring break. I just have to think about what I'm going to do next." Smith has said she loved her trips to Louisville and Tennessee and that Oklahoma is in the picture now, as well. Smith's mother said that Bria has also expressed an interest in Georgia.

"I just have to make the process of finding a new school fun," she commented. "Hopefully, by next year, I'll be at a new school with a championship under my feet."

(Portions of this report came from Mitch Abramson's article in the New York Daily News, Friday April 29th, 2011.)

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Cardinal women's rowing enters the BIG EAST Championships at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ with the #1 seed in the varsity eight and varsity four races. They'll practice today and hold the races Sunday. Louisville head rowing coach Laura Aubrey commented on the team and the preparation.

Louisville rowing opened a brand new facility
earlier this month by the Ohio River. It's nice!

"This team is very prepared for the BIG EAST Championships and despite the horrific Ohio River conditions, the morale, focus and determination of the team has not faltered for one second. They remain hungry, enthusiastic and prepared to perform at their absolute best this upcoming weekend. I am very proud of this team right now. We stress all year about taking care of the little things, building trust amongst each other, making good and selfless decisions and staying accountable for all of your actions. Right now, we are definitely feeling the benefits of the commitment we made to those principals.....I know this team is ready for their BIG EAST Championship and nothing is going to get in their way or stop them from reaching their goal."

(Good thing that the BIG EAST Championships aren't in Louisville this weekend. The Ohio River is way over flood stage and the rowers would have to contend with swift currents, trees and other debris floating down the muddy Ohio. Good luck girls, bring home the title and trophy.)