The celebration this past Monday was appreciated, but quite tame. Coach Jeff Walz and the Louisville women’s basketball team have reached another Final Four, their first since 2018 and fourth all time. The Cards beat the Michigan Wolverines on Monday in the Elite Eight and now have their sights set on handling business in Minneapolis, MN.
What makes this team remarkable is that they have had steady production from a number of positions. Hailey Van Lith has been the catalyst for Louisville throughout the tournament by consistently averaging over 20 points in each game the Cardinals have played. Kianna Smith and Chelsie Hall add an additional scoring punch to the backcourt.
Climbing the Mountain
Everyone knows that when you reach the Final Four the competition is typically the best of the best. A national semifinal isn’t something that Coach Walz and the Cards are unfamiliar with. The tall task will be taking on a South Carolina team that has been the nation’s #1 ranked team from wire to wire, lead by legendary head coach Dawn Staley.
The Gamecocks star, Aliyah Boston, is an absolute beast in the middle and could be the eventual national player of the year. If the Cards hope to have any success they must slow down Boston in the post and also in transition.
Here’s the kicker, if Louisville does win their semifinal they could be matched up with a Uconn team that has built a proverbial Airbnb at just about every Final Four for the past 25 years, or they could face the defending national champs in the Stanford Cardinal.
The journey is always the hardest part when chasing a championship. Jeff Walz will more than likely make sure he packs a flashlight, granola bars, and a scrappy basketball team this Friday in Minneapolis!