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It’s that time again ladies and gents, time for us to look back at yet another Legend of Louisville! As I was thinking of which Legend to talk about this week, I noticed a commercial on the television (yes people still watch television even with all this new media being abundant), promoting the WNBA, and I immediately thought of the one and only, Angel McCoughtry, one of the best basketball players to ever come out of Louisville, and the one who helped put our women’s team on the map.
Now everyone knows about UCONN, Tennessee, Baylor, Notre Dame, etc, the power houses of women’s college basketball, but up to the point when Angel joined the team, our Lady Cards had barely made a peep in that sport. But when, she got there, although it took some time, the Cards shot straight up to that power house level.
Her freshman year was rather uneventful, but when it came to her sophomore year, she became the instant leader for the Lady Cards, scoring 21 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds a game, as well as breaking school records for most steals and points in a season, as well as points in a single game. For her efforts, she won the Big East Player of the Year award. Then her junior year came, and she once again set school records for most points and steals in a season, and at the end of it, she was named an All-American by several publications. But, her Senior season is when she cemented her legacy for the Lady Cards, as she set the all-time scoring record for the women’s team, recorded her 2nd Triple-Double of her career (and let me tell you folks, it’s not easy getting a Triple Double), and to top it all off, led the Lady Cards to their first ever National Championship game apperance, and although they lost that game, her legacy was already in place. Then, just to top it off, she was selected #1 overall by the Atlanta Dream, where she still plays to this day (additionally, she is joined on the team by fellow Louisville alum Shoni Schimmel, which makes the Dream by far my favorite WNBA team).
Angel didn’t do it alone, but with her help and excellent basketball skills, the Women’s team here at the University of Louisville was turned from an after-thought to a national powerhouse. She gave everything she had when she was on the court and it showed throughout her four tremendous seasons. Women’s college basketball never had the kind of attention that the men’s program does, but McCoughtry helped change that perspective here at Louisville. It is for that reason and many more that she will always be remembered here. She was an Angel in disguise for our Lady Cards, and she always will be, a Legend of Louisville! Go Cards!
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