Cardinals to Host Washington in Important Matchup

The No. 19 Louisville women’s basketball team is gearing up for their final game before the holiday break, and they have a tough test ahead of them. The undefeated No. 23 Washington Huskies will be traveling to the KFC Yum! Center for the first time ever. Louisville has had success at home this season, boasting a 6-0 record at the KFC Yum! Center. They have been dominant on their home court, outscoring their opponents by a total of 496-300. The Cardinals have limited their opponents to an average of just 50.0 points per game at the Yum! Center.

However, the Huskies are not to be taken lightly. They currently lead the country in scoring defense, allowing just 45.6 points per game. Washington has held their opponents to 50 points or less in seven of their 11 games this season. On the offensive end, the Cardinals have scored over 60 points in every game this season and have reached the 70-point mark in 10 of their 12 games.

One player to watch for Louisville is graduate transfer Kiki Jefferson, who has been on fire recently. She has scored 10 or more points in each of the last seven games and has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in six of those games. Jefferson had a standout performance against No. 17/18 UConn this past weekend, scoring a team-high 19 points.

The game is set for Wednesday, December 20 at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on the ACC Network. It will be an exciting matchup between two ranked opponents, and Louisville will be looking to continue their undefeated streak at home.

The Huskies come into this game with a perfect 11-0 record and are ranked 23rd in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Last season, Washington had a 19-15 overall record and advanced to the Fab 4 in the WNIT, their best run in program history. This season, the Huskies have been dominant on the defensive end, leading the nation in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, and three-point percentage defense. They have also been strong on the boards, ranking 11th nationally in rebounding margin.

Louisville and Washington have only faced off once before, with the Cardinals coming away with a 61-53 victory. In that game, Kianna Smith and Liz Dixon led the Cardinals with 13 points each. Louisville head coach Jeff Walz acknowledged their need to put together a complete game to secure the win.

Fans can follow Louisville women’s basketball on GoCards.com and on social media for the latest updates on the team. It’s sure to be an exciting matchup as both teams look to close out the pre-holiday schedule with a win.