Jeff Walz and the Louisville Cardinals added one more player from the class of 2025, signing Ukrainian center Yevheniia Putra. The Cardinals have now earned three commitments from the class of 2025, and Kentucky native Grace Mbugua, ranked as the Cardinals' top commit, will lead the way.
Mbugua is ranked as a 4-star recruit, as she is the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 81 overall player in the nation. Joining Mbugua is now the 6-foot-3 center from Ukraine, Putra, who will be a significant addition to Walz's Cardinals.
Louisville Cardinals adds key piece to 2025 women’s basketball class
Louisville women's basketball added two guards from the transfer portal, Skylar Jones and Reyna Scott, and one forward, Laura Ziegler. The Cardinals' defense and rebounding struggled last season, making Putra's pickup a perfect fit.
Last season, she played in 32 games for MBK Ruzomberok in Slovakia and improved her stats, averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. The newest Cardinal will be the 13th scholarship player for Walz's 2025-26 roster.
Having played in multiple international leagues, the 20-year-old will bring elite experience to this Cardinals roster. She played on the Ukraine National team at the 2023 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship, averaging 14.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Last season, the Cards' finished fifth place in the ACC with a 22-11 record. Louisville went on to make the NCAA Tournament and defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first round, but fell to TCU in the round of 32. The Cardinals will see seven players return from last year's squad hoping to make an ACC Title push.
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