Louisville women's basketball streak of being among top 15 in preseason coaches poll continues
Louisville women’s basketball opens the 2023-24 season ranked 15th in the USA TODAY preseason coaches poll, released Tuesday.
This is the 13th year the Cardinals have opened the season among the top 15 in the rankings, starting as high as fourth in 2018-19. They ended last season 14th after making the ACC Tournament championship, advancing to the Elite Eight for the fifth time in as many NCAA Tournaments and finishing 26-12.
U of L, which enters its 17th season under coach Jeff Walz, is No. 17 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, which was also released Tuesday. This marks the first time in the last 13 years where the Cardinals have started a season outside the top 15 in the AP poll.
The squad lost six players to graduation and five players to the transfer portal, including star guard Hailey Van Lith to LSU — the No. 1 team in both polls — but the Cardinals added six from the transfer portal and signed two international freshmen. They return two starters in forwards Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris. The Cardinals tried out three new starters in Jayda Curry, Sydney Taylor and Kiki Jefferson while representing the USA during the GLOBL Jam tournament during the summer in Canada and won a gold medal.
Louisville is one of seven ACC teams to make the preseason coaches poll. After making its first Final Four appearance in the spring, Virginia Tech leads the group at No. 5, followed by Notre Dame (10), U of L, North Carolina (17), Duke (19), Florida State (22) and Miami, which tied with Michigan at No. 25.
Five teams from the league also joined the Cardinals in the preseason AP poll: The Hokies (8), Fighting Irish (10), Tar Heels (16) and Seminoles (18).
Louisville opens the season on the road against Cincinnati at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and begins ACC play at Miami at 4 p.m. Dec. 31.
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Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville women's basketball in preseason AP Top 25 and coaches poll
