FORT WORTH, TX — Returning to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 was a strong indicator of Louisville women’s basketball being on par to continue getting better next season. Prior to the first round of the tournament, head coach Jeff Walz said the team had already secured five of its players, declining to say who, and had the verbal commitment of another as the team improved from 22 wins in 2024-25 to 29 in 2025-26.
A program-first 11-0 ACC start; a 14-game winning streak; an undefeated road record, the first in program history; and an ACC Tournament championship game appearance highlighted Louisville’s season. The third-seeded Cardinals used their regular-season success to earn a host seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
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Much like this year, the Cardinals stand to benefit from the continuity heading into next season, with almost half of the team being sophomores.
“I think it’s been amazing to see how they’re buying in to building the brand of Louisville, understanding all the people that come in front of them and before them,” senior forward Laura Ziegler said. “And then wanting to live up (to) their own legacy and build their own legacy, but they’re a really good group. I’m really happy that I got to play with them for one year.”
Here’s a quick look at where Louisville’s roster currently stands for the 2026-27 season.
Who is Louisville women’s basketball losing?
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Walz announced that junior guard Skylar Jones was no longer with the program. In addition to Jones, the Cardinals are losing guard Reyna Scott and forward Laura Ziegler, an All-ACC first-team selection, to graduation. Scott, who made seven starts, entered the Sweet 16 contest averaging 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while Ziegler had contributed 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per outing.
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Who is returning for Louisville women’s basketball?
UofL looks to return four of its five starters, as well as ACC Sixth Player of the Year Imari Berry. Taj Roberts, Elif Istanbulluoglu (the lone junior on the team) and Berry are the top three returning scorers while Mackenly Randolph, Istanbulluoglu and Berry are the team’s top three returning rebounders. Despite losing Ziegler in the frontcourt, freshman Grace Mbugua will be expected to take on a bigger role, and Isla Juffermans, a second-year player, will be expected to return after redshirting this year.
Louisville women’s basketball 2026 recruiting class
Louisville signed three players from the Class of 2026, two of which are among the SportsCenter Next 100. Four-star guards Ariyana “Peanut” Cradle and Myah Epps — who was recently injured in a car accident — are ranked 38th and 68th, respectively. Epps, who’s listed at 5-foot-10, averaged 14 points while shooting 52% from the field, 4.1 assists, 4 rebounds and 2.3 steals as a senior, ending her prep career with 1,560 points and 445 assists and earning a spot on Indiana’s All Star team. After averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.6 assists as a junior for Westerville South High School in Ohio, the 5-10 Cradle attended SPIRE Academy for her senior season.
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Louisville will also be adding another international player in 6-4 forward Ayse Melek Demirer, who’s from Turkey. She averaged 15.4 points, 17.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for Turkey’s FIBA U16 Women’s EuroBasket Division B team in August.
The Cardinals can also add veteran players once the transfer portal opens on April 6.
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 roster 2026-27, Jeff Walz recruiting
