UofL Women’s Bball: What Eylia Love Adds to the the Team
Georgia Tech wing Eylia Love was dismissed from the Yellow Jackets, according to Georgia Tech Head Coach Nell Fortner.
It is unclear the reason why junior Eylia Love was dismissed from Georgia Tech, but due to her prompt commitment to Louisville, it appears it wasn’t anything too serious. If something worth noting was going on, then her being added to a new team would have been stalled by the NCAA.
Source close to the situation confirms that Eylia Love is in the transfer portal. Averaged 10.5 ppg on 41% FG last season, just 3.1 this season. Should have two years of eligibility left. @TheNextHoops #ACCwbb #ncaaW https://t.co/jpD0QVZADW
— Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch) January 3, 2023
But, what is one ACC member’s loss is another one’s gain. Head Coach Jeff Walz and the Louisville Cardinals add a former four-star prospect out of Olathe, Kansas and fill a void left by Payton Verhulst, who entered the transfer portal in December of last year and announced her commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners shortly after.
With Payton going to Norman, Eylia comes into the fold for the Cardinals and will begin her tenure with Louisville beginning next season. After three years with the Yellow Jackets, the 6-foot-1 wing still has two years of eligibility left.
Her best season was the 2021-2022 season in which she starred in 32 games, starting 31 of them, and averaged 10.5 points per game to go along with 48 assists, 16 blocks, and 19 steals. She brings a good amount of flexibility and versatility to the Cardinals with her ability to play both sides of the ball.
Eylia Love is very similar to Morgan Jones in that way. They can both impact the game heavily on both sides of the court and can create more opportunities for a star player like Hailey Van Lith to do what she does best.
It seems like Jeff Walz didn’t waste any time in adding to the roster for next season and due to the success he has had over the last several years, the desire to play for an esteemed organization like Louisville is probably not too hard to sell.
The Louisville Cardinals add athleticism, shot creation, uptempo pace, and an elite perimeter performer in Eylia Love.
Not only does Love have the ability to create her own shots, especially in the mid-range game, but she can also beat defenders off of her first step and get to the rim with ease from the perimeter. Her ability to drive and create shots speaks to her athleticism you can’t teach. She has bounce, quickness, which make her explosive in transition.
Louisville is adding a great piece to next year’s roster and it will be exciting for Card Nation whenever she suits up for her first game on the court next season.