Monday, November 4
Paris, France
2:30 PM
University of Louisville
vs
#5/#6 UCLA
No. 17 Cardinals To Begin Season Against No. 5/6 UCLA at Aflac Oui-Play
November 03, 2024 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals and Bruins are in Paris to begin the 2024-25 season
PARIS, France — The 17th-ranked Louisville women's basketball team is ready to begin the season across the pond against one of the top teams in the country. The Cardinals are in Paris for the second Aflac Oui-Play and begin the season against the No. 5/6 UCLA Bruins. The Cardinals and Bruins are set to square off at the Adidas Arena in Paris on Monday at 2:30 p.m ET and it will be aired nationally on ESPN2.
Jeff Walz is set to begin his 18th season at the helm of the Cardinals and they are coming off another 20-win campaign last season. It was their 14th-straight 20-win season, which is the longest streak in program history and the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
Louisville has won seven of the last eight season openers and are 14-3 in season openers under Walz. Under Walz, they are 9-0 when opening the season on the road, 5-2 when opening at home and 0-1 at neutral venues. All-time, Louisville is 29-20 in first games of the year. The #5/6 UCLA Bruins are the highest ranked opponent the Cardinals will face in the season opener since 2010 when they faced #4 Tennessee to open the KFC Yum! Center.
Olivia Cochran and Merissah Russell lead the group of five returners for last year's squad. Cochran and Russell are each in their fifth year with the program and have played a combined 242 games between the pair. Also returning is junior Nyla Harris who has started in 49 of her 72 games over her first two seasons. Jayda Curry is set to begin her senior season and her second year with the Cardinals and was named to the Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List prior to the season. Elif Istanbulluoglu is back for her second collegiate season. She and coach Walz were with the U20 Turkish National Team this summer at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket in Lithuania.
The Cardinals have nine newcomers to the squad, including eight true-freshmen. The incoming freshman class was ranked No. 6 overall by ESPN, the highest ranked class in the ACC. The Cards had four players ranked in the Top 100, including Imari Berry (No. 19), Mackenly Randolph (No. 23), Tajianna Roberts (No. 24) and Izela Arenas (No. 88). Randolph and Berry were both McDonald's All-Americans and Randolph and Roberts were Naismith All-Americans. Berry was named to the ACC Newcomer Watch List prior to the season.
Date: Monday, November 4
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Site: Paris, France | Adidas Arena (8,000)
TV: ESPN2 (Ryan Ruocco, play-by-play; Rebecca Lobo, analyst)
Radio: 93.9-FM The Ville (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: First Meeting
ABOUT THE BRUINS
UCLA is coming off a 2023-24 season where they finished with a 27-7 record and were 13-5 in Pac-12 play. The Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season before falling to LSU in Albany. The Bruins return four players from last year's team that averaged 10 points or more, including last year's leading scorer Lauren Betts (14.9 ppg). Betts was also the leading rebounder from last year's team after she averaged 9.3 boards per game.Kiki Rice averaged a team-best 4.5 assists per game last season and she returns for the Bruins this year. Rice was third on last year's team with 13.2 points per game.
Series History - Louisville and UCLA will meet for the first time in program history when the two schools square off in Paris to open the 2024-25 season.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on Louisville women's basketball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram account at @LouisvilleWBB, X account at @LouisvilleWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/louisvillewbb.
Jeff Walz is set to begin his 18th season at the helm of the Cardinals and they are coming off another 20-win campaign last season. It was their 14th-straight 20-win season, which is the longest streak in program history and the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
Louisville has won seven of the last eight season openers and are 14-3 in season openers under Walz. Under Walz, they are 9-0 when opening the season on the road, 5-2 when opening at home and 0-1 at neutral venues. All-time, Louisville is 29-20 in first games of the year. The #5/6 UCLA Bruins are the highest ranked opponent the Cardinals will face in the season opener since 2010 when they faced #4 Tennessee to open the KFC Yum! Center.
Olivia Cochran and Merissah Russell lead the group of five returners for last year's squad. Cochran and Russell are each in their fifth year with the program and have played a combined 242 games between the pair. Also returning is junior Nyla Harris who has started in 49 of her 72 games over her first two seasons. Jayda Curry is set to begin her senior season and her second year with the Cardinals and was named to the Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List prior to the season. Elif Istanbulluoglu is back for her second collegiate season. She and coach Walz were with the U20 Turkish National Team this summer at the FIBA U20 Eurobasket in Lithuania.
The Cardinals have nine newcomers to the squad, including eight true-freshmen. The incoming freshman class was ranked No. 6 overall by ESPN, the highest ranked class in the ACC. The Cards had four players ranked in the Top 100, including Imari Berry (No. 19), Mackenly Randolph (No. 23), Tajianna Roberts (No. 24) and Izela Arenas (No. 88). Randolph and Berry were both McDonald's All-Americans and Randolph and Roberts were Naismith All-Americans. Berry was named to the ACC Newcomer Watch List prior to the season.
Date: Monday, November 4
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Site: Paris, France | Adidas Arena (8,000)
TV: ESPN2 (Ryan Ruocco, play-by-play; Rebecca Lobo, analyst)
Radio: 93.9-FM The Ville (Nick Curran, play-by-play; Cortnee Walton, analyst)
Series History: First Meeting
ABOUT THE BRUINS
UCLA is coming off a 2023-24 season where they finished with a 27-7 record and were 13-5 in Pac-12 play. The Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season before falling to LSU in Albany. The Bruins return four players from last year's team that averaged 10 points or more, including last year's leading scorer Lauren Betts (14.9 ppg). Betts was also the leading rebounder from last year's team after she averaged 9.3 boards per game.Kiki Rice averaged a team-best 4.5 assists per game last season and she returns for the Bruins this year. Rice was third on last year's team with 13.2 points per game.
Series History - Louisville and UCLA will meet for the first time in program history when the two schools square off in Paris to open the 2024-25 season.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on Louisville women's basketball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram account at @LouisvilleWBB, X account at @LouisvilleWBB or on Facebook at facebook.com/louisvillewbb.
Players Mentioned
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