UNC Women’s Hoops Schedule Breakdown: Louisville

UNC opens ACC play for the 2025-2026 season that day, following a matchup against Boston University. North Carolina is ranked No. 11, while Louisville is No. 20.

All time, UNC is 4-9 against the Cardinals — holding a record of 3-3 at home and 1-5 in on the road. However, the Tar Heels are riding a two-game winning streak, which could be extended if all things pan out the way they want it once the contest arrives. Earlier this year, North Carolina won 79-75 on February 23 on the road.

In that game, UNC had four players in double figures. Freshman Lanie Grant and then-junior Trayanna Crisp (now with Mississippi State) scored 19 points apiece. Sophomore Reniya Kelly led the way with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Then-graduate student Lexi Donarski followed with 13 points, two rebounds, and made all five of her field goals, including two three-pointers. As a team, North Carolina went 28-57 from the field goal range and 10-22 from beyond the arc and 13-16 from the charity stripe.

Louisville's 2024-2026 Season

Head coach Jeff Walz is entering his 19th season with the Louisville Cardinals, holding a record of 487-146. The Fort Thomas, Kentucky native led the Cardinals to a 22-11 record last season, boasting a 13-5 win-loss ratio in ACC play. Walz's team went 9-4 at home, 10-4 on the road and 3-3 on neutral courts.

The Cardinals found wins against Memphis, Boston College, Miami, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia, SMU, California and others. But fell to the hands of UCLA, Kentucky, Oklahoma, UConn, NC State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, plus more.

Jayda Curry, Tajiannna Roberts and Olivia Cochran led in the scoring department for Louisville last season. Curry averaged 14.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals, while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from the three-point line. Roberts had 12.8 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals.

Cochran added 10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds (the most on the team), and 1.2 assists, shooting 46 percent from the field, but struggled from behind the three-point line, mustering a percentage of 19 percent.

UNC-Louisville will be an interesting game for now-Tar Heel Nyla Harris, who will be facing off her former team and head coach.

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