By Micah Brown —
Women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz says a team can be successful if they have certain pieces.
“If you’ve got three scorers, you’re a really good team. If you can get four, you’re very good. And if you get five, you’ve got a chance to compete for a championship,” Walz said.
Redshirt junior Arica Carter might be that viable scoring threat for the Cardinals.
In her freshman year, Carter wasted no time getting involved with Walz’s game plan, finishing fifth on the team in assists and steals.
As a sophomore, Carter averaged 4.1 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game, hitting 41 percent of her three-point attempts. Carter flashed what she could be in a game against No. 19 South Florida, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
An offensive initiator, Carter’s role didn’t get to expand as a junior. A sports hernia sidelined her for the entirety of 2016-17.
Thought to be a multi-week issue at first, trainers soon discovered nothing they did could alleviate her pain. Surgery was the only option.
While discouraging, Carter embraced the situation with overwhelming optimism. Unable to perform on the court, Carter spent her junior season coaching her team along with Walz.
“It helped me because I can watch the game,” Carter said. “I can learn from the game. Being able as a point guard to see what our team needs, what we’re missing, the things we can fix and be able to watch it like a coach, actually has helped me learn the game more.”
With Carter’s added knowledge, the Cardinals could have an established scorer off the bench in their redshirt junior.
You can follow Micah Brown on Twitter @micah_brown74
Photo by Laurel Slaughter / The Louisville Cardinal
