By Whitney Spencer

Following an almost stellar regular season with records broken and history being re-written, the University of Louisville women’s basketball team all but knew one of the four number two seeds in the NCAA tournament would belong to them. Coach Jeff Walz just knew his team would make the short trek to Bowling Green, KY to play the first two rounds. I as just a writer covering this team and watching countless others knew this team was good enough to get a second seed in the tournament. Obviously, none of that mattered because the selection committee did not.

Following a Q&A session with Coach Walz and an introduction of the players, the crowd in Cardinal Arena finally settled in to watch the selection show with the players and coaches alike. It didn’t take long to hear the Louisville Cardinals name announced in the Raleigh region as a No.3 seed. YES! You read that right. After finishing 29-4 with a Ratings Percentage Index ranking of No. 4 nationally. Think of it this way, of the teams ranked in the top ten all but Louisville and Ohio State received a number one or two seed. Two teams ranked below the Cards, Auburn and Texas A&M received No. 2 seeds.

Maybe the selection committee was still sitting on the most recent loss to Connecticut but honestly who has Connecticut not destroyed this season? Oh, that’s right – no one. That’s why they are undefeated and the overall No. 1 seed. If you think that’s bad then sit down because it gets worse. Not only were they dropped to a No. 3 seed, but the Cards are now being shuffled down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana instead of Bowling Green, KY for their first round match against Liberty. If they win, they will possibly then face No. 6 seed Louisiana State University team on its home court. Yes, I said it; home court advantage for a six seed. What was the committee thinking?

Apparently the loss to Nevada earlier this season drew red flags for the committee. Nevada had a weak team in the eyes of the committee and Louisville losing to Nevada only lessened the team’s accomplishment since the November matchup. What the committee failed to realize was that the game against the Nevada was before freshman center Gwen Rucker joined the team (from the volleyball team) and after center Laura Terry fell to a knee injury. Clearly the Cards, who only lost by 3, were not in tip-top shape as they have been for the better part of the season. Tennessee on the other hand was sent to Bowling Green instead of Chattanooga as a No. 6 seed; still they are within traveling distance (the power of Pat Summitt) and again showing that lower seeds are getting better deals. It is unbelievable.

What’s done is done. Nothing can change it now. This will just go down as one of the biggest snubs in NCAA women’s basketball history if you ask me.

“It is what it is,” Candyce Bingham, U of L senior forward, said. “We wanted the two seed and we all expected the two seed, but we got the three seed and we just have to go and play the game. We’re just going to have to prove to people we’re not a fluke.”

As angry as many were initially with the three seed, there is one question that still stands. Who really cares about the seeds?

“Who cares about the seeds,” McCoughtry said. “None of that matters when you step on the court.”