Louisville Women’s Basketball Rallies to Seven-Game Win Streak

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to seven games Thursday night, defeating Syracuse 72-62 at the KFC Yum! Center. The victory marked a dramatic turnaround for the Cardinals, who struggled earlier in the season with two 30-point losses to top-ranked opponents.

Head coach Jeff Walz, in his 18th season with Louisville, had publicly criticized his team’s performance after a 33-point loss to then-No. 2 Connecticut in December. The Cardinals also fell to No. 22 North Carolina State by 30 points just eight days later. At 6-5 after 11 games, it was the worst start in Walz’s tenure.

“That shouldn’t happen here,” Walz said, reflecting on the early-season struggles. However, the team has since rebounded, improving to 13-5 overall and 6-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Freshman Tajianna Roberts led the Cardinals with 13 points, while Ja’Leah Williams recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Williams also contributed seven assists, narrowly missing a triple-double. “She’s going to get one,” teammate Jayda Curry said of Williams’ near-triple-double performance.

Curry, who scored all 12 of her points from beyond the arc, highlighted Louisville’s depth. “We have a lot of people who can score,” she said. The Cardinals’ balanced attack saw all five starters score in double figures.

Despite a late push from Syracuse, which cut the lead to 65-60 with 2:30 remaining, Louisville held firm, allowing only two more points in the closing minutes. The Orange fell to 7-10 overall and 1-5 in the ACC.

Walz acknowledged the team’s inconsistency, saying, “We look really good at times and then really bad at times.” However, he expressed optimism about the Cardinals’ progress. “We’re actually attempting to guard people,” he said. “I’m pleased with where we’re at right now. But we’ve got to play better.”

Louisville now faces a challenging stretch of three consecutive road games, beginning with a matchup against Virginia Tech on Sunday. The game will be televised on the ACC Network at 4 p.m. ET.

The Cardinals’ next home game will be against No. 3 Notre Dame on Feb. 2. “We have to figure out a way to steal a couple of them,” Walz said of the upcoming road games.