Louisville Receives No. 1 Seed for NCAA Tournament, Will Open Play vs. Albany

The Cardinals are making their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Despite some late concerns that they might get bumped off the top line in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, that's exactly where the Louisville women's basketball program landed.

The Cardinals received a No. 1 seed for the tournament, and will open play against Albany at the KFC Yum! Center on Friday, Mar. 18. The Great Danes clinched a No. 16 seed by winning the America East Championship.

Louisville was placed in the Wichita Region, where Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Michigan, Baylor and Tennessee round out the top four seeds in the region, with the remaining No. 1 seeds being awarded to South Carolina, NC State and Stanford.

Head coach Jeff Walz led the Cardinals to a 25-4 overall record and 15-2 mark in ACC play, en route to his 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years with Louisville. A No. 1 seed was far from a foregone conclusion due in part to UofL's play down the stretch, as they dropped two of their last five games, including their ACC Tournament opener against Miami.

Louisville received several league and national honors following the regular season's end. Senior forward Emily Engstler and sophomore guard Hailey Van Lith were both named First Team All-ACC selections, Engstler and junior guard Mykasa Robinson were named to the All-Defensive Team, and freshmen guard Payton Verhulst was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.

Engstler was also named a semifinalist for the Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award. Walz was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.

The 2022 NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin with the First Four on Wednesday, Mar. 16 and Thursday, Mar. 17.

(Photo of Jeff Walz: Matt Cashore - USA TODAY Sports)

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