The No. 7 Louisville women’s basketball team made a statement Thursday night in Palo Alto, rolling past Stanford 84-66 in a game that showcased just how deep and dangerous this Cardinals squad really is. With five players hitting double figures and six scoring at least nine, Louisville didn’t just win - they controlled the game from start to finish.
This win marks the Cardinals’ 20th of the season, moving them to 20-3 overall and a perfect 10-0 in ACC play. It also extends their remarkable streak to 16 straight seasons with 20 or more wins - the fourth-longest active run in the nation.
That kind of sustained excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the product of a program that knows how to reload, not rebuild.
Leading the charge was Laura Ziegler, who turned in one of her most complete performances of the year. The sophomore forward poured in 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. She was a force in the paint, cleaning up on the glass and giving Louisville second-chance opportunities that helped them maintain momentum, especially during a third-quarter stretch when the offense briefly stalled.
Mackenly Randolph also delivered a breakout performance, notching a career-high 14 points to go with six boards and three assists. She set the tone early, knocking down a corner three to open the scoring, and didn’t look back. In fact, Randolph was perfect from deep in the first quarter, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to help Louisville jump out to a 22-15 lead after one.
The second quarter was where the Cards really found their rhythm. Shooting over 50% from the field in the frame, Louisville ripped off a 9-0 run sparked by Randolph’s early scoring and capped by five straight points from Tajianna Roberts.
That burst forced Stanford to call for time, but it didn’t slow the Cards down. They closed the half on a tear, hitting six of their final seven shots to take a commanding 48-30 lead into the locker room.
Things got a little sluggish coming out of the break. Louisville managed just one point in the first four minutes of the third quarter, but Ziegler stepped up when the offense needed a spark.
She scored five straight to get the Cards going again, then rattled off 10 consecutive points to keep Stanford at bay. By the end of the third, Louisville had stretched the lead back to 17, heading into the final frame up 63-46.
From there, it was all but over. The Cardinals opened the fourth with a 12-0 run, ballooning the lead to 27 - their largest of the night - and effectively putting the game out of reach. With the result in hand, Louisville turned to its bench to close things out and get valuable minutes for the rotation.
Skylar Jones, Roberts, and Elif Istanbulluoglu each added double-digit scoring efforts, with Jones tallying 11 and both Roberts and Istanbulluoglu chipping in 10. Roberts also led the team with four assists, while freshman Imari Berry made her presence felt on the defensive end, swiping a team-high three of Louisville’s 10 steals. The Cardinals forced 22 turnovers on the night - a testament to their relentless pressure and ability to disrupt passing lanes.
This was a total team win, the kind that shows why Louisville is a legitimate contender not just in the ACC, but nationally. The Cards are locked in, sharing the ball, defending with purpose, and getting contributions from across the roster. And with the way they’re playing right now, they’re not just winning games - they’re imposing their will.
Louisville continues its West Coast swing this weekend, with a matchup against Cal on Sunday, February 1. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET, and fans can catch the action on the CW.