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.

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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 -- Storm surges past Mytics for title -- Give For Good Louisville Day -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

STEWART, HOWARD KEY SEATTLE'S SWEEP OF WASHINGTON

It wasn't so magical or mystical in Washington's arena last night. In maybe a foreboding predecessor to what's coming next week to the east coast in Hurricane Florence, the Seattle Storm surged into Fairfax, VA and George Mason University's Eagle Bank Arena and washed out the Mystics 98-82. 

It wasn't really that close for a lot of the contest. "Stewie" Brianna Stewart and Natasha Howard combined for 59 points (30 and 29 respectively) to solve the mystery of the Mystics in a three-game sweep. 

Sue Bird, notorious for one broken nose and four-letter expletive fame, added 10 for the victorious west coast squad. The Storm used just eight players, two of which saw 10 minutes or less, to take control of the third game and weathered a Washington run that cut a 47-30 halftime deficit to 72-67 with 6:49 to play. Seattle countered with eight straight points to quell the last-ditch effort and secure the win. 

Myisha Hines-Allen saw a fair amount of action for the Mystics last night and had a nice effort on court with six points of three for four shooting. She also gathered four rebounds in her 20:38 minutes on the hardwood. Elena Della Donne led the Mystics with 23 points and Kristi Tolliver contributed 22. Della Donne may have also had the most interesting post-game remarks as well when she offered: 

"There's been a huge transformation with the culture of this team. Last year we were brand new. I didn't know Kristi's favorite beer. That's a pretty important thing to know about "Panda" (Tolliver's nickname). Now I can go to the bar and order everything she needs." 

Tolliver countered with: 

"I'm gonna need a lot tonight".

No word on what Myisha drinks or if Della Donne is picking up her tab as well. In attendance, but probably not knocking back cold, frosty ones were UConn coaches Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey...on hand for the Stewie coronation. There wasn't a Jeff Walz sighting in the arena but his old boss Brenda Frese was there. 

There was no Donald Trump sighting either.

So, the WNBA season comes to an end.

Our Cardinals "in the show" had a few "ups" and some major "downs" this season. Asia survived life in Indy (after the Mystics dumped her) on a squad that finished 6-28...the worst record in the league by one over the New York Liberty...where Shoni made a cameo appearance before drifting out to Las Vegas. Angel played with passion and fire for the Dream before blowing her knee out at the end of the season. Myisha watched a lot of basketball for "Theo" bald's squad before getting a chance late in the season to be a contributor. 

One would expect at least three of the four will get a chance on WNBA rosters next year...maybe even Shoni, too. Several Cards from the 2018-19 squad could get the chance to play WNBA next year. There is European and Australian hoops ahead for Myisha and Asia Taylor. We'll see how they do across the seas. 

Last night, Della Donne also spoke post-game about even though things may have not gone their way at the end of the season....there was still room for improvement and how she felt that they hadn't peaked yet. How it wasn't the end for them. 

Unfortunately, it is the end... for 2018, at least. 

Maybe the Mystics will come back and make another run for the title next season. Maybe Myisha is on that team. Hopefully, Asia Taylor gets a return call to play for someone and Angel heals and comes back stronger than ever. We hope Shoni gets chance to lace 'em up and fire threes. We expect Asia Durr to be running the courts in a WNBA jersey next year and maybe even a couple of more from the 2018-19 Cardinals. 

We'll be waiting. Maybe Elena Della Donne will even buy us a beer while we wait. 


GIVE FOR GOOD LOUISVILLE

Today is Thursday, September 13th and it is Give For Good Louisville Day. It started at midnight and it is a day where you can help out any of 500+ local participating non-profits with your donation.

We've got a suggestion for you on one you can give to...and that's radio station WCHQ 100.9 FM. It's where we bring you The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour each Saturday and also Paulie's weekly dive in to horse racing with the Handicapping Heroes show.  

We're very grateful for the opportunity presented us on non-profit, community WCHQ FM. A chance to talk about Louisville and other women's sports for a full hour each week. We're the only ones doing a full hour about Louisville women's athletics live on the radio for an hour that we know of. We've been told that our concept is also unique across the station. No one does what we do the way we do it. 

We'd like to ask you to consider a donation to WCHQ FM. The station will be broadcasting live all day with many of the musical acts and personalities on air for you. Although none of the Cardinal Couple nor Handicapping Heroes crew will be manning microphones today in the magnificent and majestic media mansion on Mellwood, we strongly urge you to  "Give For Good". Pick whichever organization you want and maybe include WCHQ as well.

If you're a womens' sports fan, UofL fan, radio fan, horse racing fan or even a "Louisville First" fan...please consider a donation. 

Go to the link below to send your donation: 

https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organizations/crescent-hill-radio-inc

Make a difference. Give what you're comfortable with. Give for good, Louisville. 

Thank you!



paulie
xxxxx

Still undefeated...

WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND! (We're glad you made it! )


FRIDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE PRESENTS:

-Women's soccer now 7-0



-Angel and the Dream can't survive the Storm



-We recall Covington



The University of Louisville women's soccer team improved to 7-0 with a 3-1 win over BIG EAST rival Cincinnati Thursday night in Cardinal Park. Stepping up big for the Cards was Christine Exeter with two goals in the game. She booted home her first one and first goal of the game late in the first half...capitalizing on a miscalculated blocked shot by Cincy goalie Rachel Barnette on a corner kick attempt by Louisville. The ball stayed in bounds, fell in front of Exeter and she nailed it into the net. Louisville would take that 1-0 advantage into halftime.



The Cards scored again midway thru the second half when Exeter placed a head shot into the goal from an Angelika Uremovich floating kick pass. The Bearcats retaliated minutes later on a nice drive and shoot from Cincy's Kendall Loggins, who barely sailed one by Louisville goalie Taylor Vancil.



Louisville closed out the scoring and sealed the win about five minutes later...late in the game...on a Jennifer Jones penalty kick.



Louisville has pulled off a dramatic turnaround from last year's 5-11-1 record and travels to Champaign. Illinois next to face the Illini for a Sunday afternoon match.





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Speaking of Champaign...or champagne...the Seattle Storm celebrate their 3-0 sweep of the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA finals. Another close one, with Seattle holding on late to survive 87-84. Angel McCoughtry and Coco Miller missed potential game tying threes as the clock ran out to give the Storm the win.

Can't blame this loss on Angel. She was spectacular in defeat...totaling 35 points. She led the Dream back late from a eight point deficit by cashing in on a three point play and hitting two free throw to make it a 85-82 game with 30 seconds to go. Izzy Castro Marquez hit a jumper to cut it to one with 7 seconds left..but the Dream had to foul to get the ball back and Camille Little sank both foul shots for the final margin.


Atlanta started the game horribly...falling behind 9-0 in the opening minutes. Led by Castro Marquez and McCoughtry, the Dream battled back into the contest and actually took the lead late in the 2nd quarter 41-39 on a Kelly Miller three. They led at half 44-43.


Atlanta increased that lead to 59-53 late in the third quarter after a McCoughtry layup but Seattle scored 14 out of the next 15 points to close out the third and necessitate the Dream rally.

Lauren Jackson was named MVP of the Finals..finishing with 15 points in the game. All the Storm starters hit double figures in the contest. Castro-Marquez finished with 21 for Atlanta and Coco Miller added 12.


Tough way to end the season for Atlanta after pulling the upsets in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Admittedly, though...Seattle had... by far... the best record in the WNBA this year and led by Jackson, Sue Bird, Camille Little, Swin Cash and Tanisha Wright...they went into the finals as the prohibitive favorite.


Here's hoping MaryNell Meadors can keep this exciting and productive Atlanta squad together for next year. Given the traditional topsy-turvy nature of WNBA rosters, it probably won't happen...but I'd enjoy seeing these eleven together for another year. A great mixture of experience and youth and the superhero abilities of Angel McCoughtry.

Can't wait to see you at the KFC YUM Center when they retire your number at the Tennessee game, #35...pizza is on me, Angel...In the meantime, get over to the USA FIBA squad and help bring back a title.


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Daniel Covington, UofL football player from 2005-2009 was gunned down in the streets of Louisville early Thursday morning and pronounced dead on arrival at a downtown Louisville hospital one half hour later. It has been confirmed that the shooter was UofL baseball player Isaiah Howes. The incident began when Howes and his brother found out that Howes' ex-girlfriend was in the car with Covington outside the Prime Lounge on 2nd street.


You can "google" or "bing" the details on this one if you wish. What I'm going to talk about here is the Daniel Covington that walked on a 2005 Bobby Petrino coached Louisville football team and finally earned a scholarship from Steve Kragthorpe in 2008. Covington was unselfish. He came in as a defensive secondary guy and moved to linebacker. He took any assignment...special teams included. He was great with the fans and popular amongst his teammates. He graduated in 2009. He saw the highs and lows of Louisville football...going to the 2006 Orange Bowl and suffering thru three years of the mediocre Kragthorpe coaching era. He did a great interview and photo shoot with our buddy Shannon Ruffra last season over at CARDINAL DOMINANCE. He was one of those guys who you loved to see circle the Stadium at the end of the game to exchange 'high fives' with the fans...becuase he was into it...not just going thru the motions.


A young man from Lexington, a college graduate, that decided for some reason to jump out of his car and start punching passengers in another car outside a Louisville nightclub. He took two bullets for his decision.


It happens every morning and night in the cities across the United States. We can lament the loss of a former Cardinal and offer condolences and prayers to his family, friends and former teammates. We can't bring him back, though. All we can do is offer the incident as an example of someone losing their self-control. I'm sure that, given a second chance...he would choose to stay in that car. To ignore the taunts or profanities that were shouted at him. It's too late for that, though. A rash decision in a moment of anger that turned out to be a bad one.


The pressures of the twenty-something young men and women in today's society can be overwhelming. I can only suggest these words. Turn the other cheek. Be cool. Tomorrow's another day. A day that Daniel Covington...sadly...won't see.