Louisville women's basketball won't lack offensive firepower this season.
The No. 7-ranked Cardinals return four of their five leading scorers. Three returners averaged 10 or more points, led by Taj Roberts' 11.5 points per outing. Transfers Zam Jones (NC State) and Carys Baker (Virginia Tech) averaged 14.9 and 14.3 points per game, respectively, last season. LSU transfer Amiya Joyner averaged just below 10 points per game in 2025-26 after scoring 12.8 points per outing over her three prior years at East Carolina.
"I do think we have five or six kids that can score 14 to 20 (points per game)," UofL coach Jeff Walz said. "And that's what's going to make us hard to guard because we do have very, very good depth."
While scoring shouldn't be a problem, the Cards aim to do it at an efficient rate. Last year's team shot 45.8% from the field, with Mackenly Randolph (53%) and Elif Istanbulluoglu (50.4%) leading the way. Roberts took the most shots (406), but she only shot 38.9% from the floor.
The percentage goal this year is to shoot in the 40s, at least, and no worse than in the mid-30s from 3-point range. It worked last year: The Cards shot 45.8% from the field and 34.3% from long distance. They hadn't been that efficient from beyond the perimeter since they made 34.4% of their 3-pointers during the program's most recent Final Four run in 2022. That team also shot 45% overall.
Shooting efficiency is as much about making the right pass and finding the hot hand as it is taking the right shots. So with all the different scoring options available, Walz has challenged his team to worry less about individual scoring and focus on team success. It's a lesson last year's team learned en route to Louisville's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2023. And the Cards' 29 wins matched their total from the 2021-22 campaign.
"I thought we did have a very unselfish basketball team," Walz said of last year's squad. "I thought they were really good at being able to understand, 'Hey, whoever's got the hot hand, let's get them the ball.' And it doesn't mean I'm not going to get my chance to score. ... Just trying to teach them that part of the game and just trying to get them all to understand (they should) have joy in other people's success. And when you can learn to do that, it makes this game a lot more enjoyable."
Louisville opens the 2026-27 season against visiting Bellarmine at 5 p.m. Nov. 2. The Cards will face two top-10 teams in its nonconference slate: No. 2 UConn on Nov. 15 and No. 6 Texas in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 2.
Here's a look at the Cardinals' women's basketball team heading into the 2026-27 season:
Backcourt
Returning: Taj Roberts, Imari Berry, Rebekah Graves, Reagan Bender
Transfer portal additions: Zam Jones (NC State), Deniya Prawl (Tennessee)
High school recruits: Myah Epps, Ariyana "Peanut" Cradle
Berry and Roberts are the Cards' leading returning scorers and will be expected to continue being an offensive presence while getting Jones in the mix.
Berry is one of the Cards' most athletic, talented players and has the ability to take over when needed. She took a giant leap as a sophomore, going from 4.9 points over 12.1 minutes per game as a freshman to 10.9 points over 23.3 minutes per outing last year. That included a 33-point performance off the bench that ended Louisville's six-game losing streak to NC State. Berry can take another step as a junior by building her confidence. Playing with USA Basketball's 3x3 Nations League team during the summer has helped with that.
Jones joins UofL with ACC experience, having averaged 14.6 points during conference play at Virginia Tech last season. That makes her a valuable piece. Like Berry, she adds a level of speed and explosive ability off the bounce.
"Now when a play breaks down, shot clock is running out, you can't always get into a ball screen," Walz said. "So they're going to be able to put the ball in the ground and at least get it up on the rim, which is going to be really important for us."
In addition to scoring and facilitating the offense, Roberts will be expected to spearhead Louisville's defense, being more disruptive in passing lanes while producing more defensive rebounds. Last season, she averaged 2.4 rebounds per game with 1.4 coming at the defensive end.
"If you can get that defensive rebound, there's no need for an outlet pass," Walz said. "Take it and go."
Frontcourt
Returning: Elif Istanbulluoglu, Mackenly Randolph, Grace Mbugua
Transfer portal additions: Carys Baker (Virginia Tech), Amiya Joyner (LSU)
High school recruits: Ayse Melek Demirer
Istanbulluoglu and Randolph were strong candidates for the most improved player on Louisville’s 2025-26 team. Randolph’s growth showed the most during the postseason, highlighted by four double-doubles in March. A physical player, Randolph brings intensity and is the Cards' leading returning rebounder (5.6 boards per game).
“The way she finished last year on such a high note, I think she's taken that and just continued to propel herself,” Walz said of Randolph. “So I'm really looking forward to seeing how the first part of the year goes.”
Randolph will have help crashing the boards. Baker was Virginia Tech's second-leading rebounder (6.9) last season, and Joyner led LSU with 7.5 per game. Both transfers are 6-foot-2. Like Randolph, Joyner is a physical player. She was a late add after the Cardinals weren't able to get Dorian Dahan Sujic, an Israel native who had started practicing with the team but couldn't fully join because of an issue with paperwork. Joyner received a fifth season due to a preliminary injunction filed in Louisiana.
In addition to Baker's rebounding prowess, she's a 3-point shooting threat and is working on finishing around the basket to diversify her scoring ability.
Istanbulluoglu became the blueprint for how a successful summer can pay dividends during the season after playing with the Turkish National Team for the past two summers. She tripled her scoring average and more than doubled her rebounding last winter, going from 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore to 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per outing as a junior.
This summer, she was the only active ACC player named to a World Cup roster, competing with the Türkiye Senior National Team during the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup. Istanbulluoglu, who is 6-3, can be one of the players to average 16 to 20 points as a dominant presence in the low post. Her development is a positive example for Demirer, a fellow Turkey native who Walz said is progressing quicker than expected heading into her freshman season.
Mbugua's progression has been a bit slower, which has frustrated the sophomore. She came to Louisville last season with a lingering ACL injury and made her college debut a month into the regular season. She recorded her first double-double in January and averaged 3.0 minutes per game. Walz said Mbugua looks stronger but is still encouraging the forward to be patient in her development.
"I think she wants to do so well that sometimes she rushes," he added. "She gets herself going too fast. But I've been very impressed with the progress that Grace has made."
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Louisville women’s basketball 2026-27 projected starting lineup
Taj Roberts, guard
Imari Berry, guard
Mackenly Randolph, wing
Carys Baker, forward
Elif Istanbulluoglu, forward
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: What to know about the 2026-27 Louisville women's basketball team