By Josie Simpson
Louisville prepares to face the Stanford Cardinal in what will be an important matchup for both teams.
This is the second consecutive matchup against new conference members, and the first time the two have played since the 2021 Elite Eight.
But it should come as no surprise that this is not the Stanford of yesteryear. On top of losing star player Cameron Brink, who went top five in the WNBA draft, the Cardinal lost their Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer.
The Cardinal replaced VanDerveer with alumnus and longtime assistant Kate Paye, but there has been a serious learning curve.
The past has past
This new look Stanford team is led by Nunu Agara who averages 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Agara is a versatile forward who can score both inside and out, shooting 46.0% from the field and 34.1% from three-point range. She poses a significant challenge to the Cardinals defense, as her ability to stretch the floor creates matchup problems.
Beyond Agara, Elena Bosgana and Brooke Demetre are other offensive contributors, averaging 11.8 and 9.7 points per game, respectively.
Bosgana’s ability to hit threes (31.8%) makes her another tall perimeter threat that Louisville must be mindful of. Bosgana is also a matchup nightmare, being listed as a guard at 6-foot-2.
Stanford will likely draw Louisville’s bigs away from the paint, manipulating the defense to get the most favorable matchups. Don’t be surprised to see Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris spending a lot of time at the three-point arc.
As a team, Stanford doesn’t move the ball too much. Bosgana leads her team in assists per game, but only gets 2.1 a game. As a team, the Cardinal record an average 13.1 assists each night.
Louisville can’t completely give up passing lanes, but staying in front of ball handlers will be far more important than staying on someone’s hip off the ball.
Remnants of the past
While their offense has been ok, the defense is what explains Stanford’s 11-11 record.
They up 68 points per game and allow 41.3% from the field and 33.4% from three-point range. These numbers get even worse when playing against high-major opponents.
Stanford has only held five high-major opponents below 68 points, and they’re 3-2 in those games.
Stanford is also one of the worst teams in the country at forcing pressure. They force 12.5 turnovers and grab 6.3 steals a game, the 13th and 48th worst marks in the country, respectively.
Somethings, however, don’t get lost through the changing of the guard.
The Cardinal have a solid interior presence, swatting 3.2 shots and grabbing 39.2 rebounds a game. Agara and Bosgana lead Stanford with 7.8 and 6.4 boards, respectively.
Louisville has done well against teams that are great at cleaning up the glass, and they’ll need to continue that trend to prevent Stanford making good on their failed possessions.
Louisville should have the clear advantage, but they’ve played down to their competition this season. If the Cards can stay focused for a full 40 minutes, they should win going away, but they cannot afford to take anyone for granted and they cannot afford to lose this game.
Tip-off is set for noon at the KFC Yum! Center.
Photo Courtesy // Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics
