This year’s team is certainly Coach Walz’s deepest team at UofL. A UofL women’s program that has seen 5 of the last 6 ACC Players of the Year put on a Louisville jersey. Most people would say that although this is Coach Walz’s deepest team, he doesn’t have that one superstar. I would beg to differ. Coach Walz doesn’t have one superstar, he has 3 superstars on his balanced roster.
Hailey Van Lith
Hailey Van Lith was named one of the 10 watch list candidates for the 2022 Lieberman Award.
.@NancyLieberman Award 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
Go ahead HVL‼️
📰: https://t.co/Oiw6x6XHVV#GoCards pic.twitter.com/6w9dgsqYlE
— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) February 7, 2022
The Lieberman award goes to the nation’s top point guard and is in it’s 23rd year of existence. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.
Previous winners are: Sue Bird (2000-02), Lindsey Harding (2007), Kelsey Plum (2017), Sabrina Ionescu (2018-20), and last year’s winner Paige Bueckers (2021).
Kianna Smith
Kianna Smith was named one of the 10 watch list candidates for the 2022 Myers-Drysdale Award. The Myers-Drysdale Award is presented to the nation’s top shooting guard and is in it’s 5th year of existence.
One of the top shooting guards in the country 🔥@_naannna is a Top 10 finalist for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award
📰: https://t.co/RaZdpEPjtQ#GoCards pic.twitter.com/yfKow939no
— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) February 8, 2022
The award is named after the first player (male or female) named to the All-American team in four straight college seasons.
Previous winners are: Victoria Vivians (2018), Asia Durr (2019), Aari McDonald (2020), and Ashley Owusu (2021).
Emily Engstler
Emily Engstler, in the midst of her only year at Louisville, was named to the Midseason Team for 2022 Naismith Player of the Year. Emily is a do-it-all player for the Cards and has been a key to Louisville’s success this season. Engstler averages 11ppg, 8.5rpg, 2.5spg, and 1.7bpg for the Cards and has a team high 7 double-doubles so far this season.
Emily is one of 20 players named to the Midseason Team watch list.
𝘕𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘗𝘖𝘛𝘠 Midseason Team 👀
Big time, @em__baller!
📰: https://t.co/Vc9xa7Vjh9#GoCards pic.twitter.com/4NLHKi5H5O
— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) February 8, 2022
Engstler was also named to the 2022 Naismith Defensive POY watch list, as well as being named in ESPN’s Top 25 Players, version 2.0.
Alright then, @em__baller‼️
The senior has been named to the @NaismithTrophy Defensive POY Watchlist
🗞️: https://t.co/zXqyo4i8T5#GoCards pic.twitter.com/O1thKjnsik
— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) January 25, 2022
