Updated March 21, 2026, 9:22 p.m. ET
The third-seeded Louisville women’s basketball team’s strength all season has been its depth. It became the Cardinals’ driving force against No. 14-seed Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
UofL (28-7) scored 20 bench points, half of which came from Imari Berry, while the Catamounts had none in the Cards’ 72-52 victory. Yevheniia Putra and Grace Mbugua helped to provide the team with post depth, playing 10 and 6 minutes, respectively.
“I’ve been talking to them about the past week and a half — since, well, before the ACC Tournament — trying to get them all locked in practice to understand that it might be four minutes, it might be three minutes, it might be two,” head coach Jeff Walz said. “Even the minute and a half Rebekah Graves played. Her feet have really been bothering her. And I’m not sure she really wanted to go out there. … It’s things like that when you’re trying to make sure everybody’s prepared. And when you get out there, then you’ve got to be able to do something positive. That doesn’t mean you’re scoring. That means you might make the extra pass, guard somebody, box out.”
Mackenly Randolph was a prime example of that. In addition to her career-high 20 points, the sophomore had 11 rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 33 minutes played. Louisville was also +24 when she was on the court.
“She’s as good as there is (at) being able to use her body,” Walz said. “You kind of call it bully ball. She likes to put her shoulder down and will create some contact and does a really nice job of it. And then she finishes. … She’s always around the ball. It’s not like she’s out-jumping everybody. But it’s her ability to know where the ball is coming off the rim and going and pursuing the basketball.”
Randolph has averaged 14.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists so far during the postseason. She’ll look to continue her dominance with the help of the Cardinals’ deep bench when the squad takes on sixth-seeded Alabama (24-10) on Monday.
The Crimson Tide fended off upset-minded and No. 13-seeded Rhode Island, 68-55, to advance to the second-round game.
Here are three things to know about Alabama with a Round of 32 prediction:
Alabama guard Jessica Timmons is the second-shortest player on the Crimson Tide’s team at 5-foot-8. But she has no problem playing aggressively and getting to the basket. Coming off a medical redshirt season, Timmons leads Alabama’s scoring with 16.4 points per game while shooting 40.3% from 3-point range. The redshirt senior All-SEC second-team honoree opened the NCAA Tournament with 21 points and six rebounds to help her team advance to Monday’s meeting with Louisville.
Timmons is backed up by a deep rotation of guards that help bolster Alabama’s backcourt. The team starts four guards, including Timmons, and entered the NCAA Tournament shooting 36% from long distance and 43.9% overall on the floor.
Ta’Mia Scott and Karly Weathers are two of the Crimson Tide’s top five scorers, and came into the weekend averaging 9.6 and 9.1 points per game, respectively.
Alabama played two ACC opponents during its nonconference schedule, recording wins over Florida State in the season opener, 91-71, and Clemson, 72-48. During the regular season, the Crimson Tide got swept by South Carolina and fell to Tennessee but beat Kentucky. They rebounded in the SEC Tournament by beating the Volunteers.
Louisville, too, lost to the Wildcats and Gamecocks during the regular season but went 3-0 against FSU, Clemson and Tennessee.
Louisville 70, Alabama 65: The Crimson Tide’s guard play will make it a close game, but the Cardinals’ inside game will be the difference in a close victory.
When: noon ET Monday, March 23
Where: KFC Yum! Center
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
Nick Curran (play-by-play) and Cortnee Walton (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.