Louisville Women's Basketball 2022-23 Roster Outlook 1.0

Here's a glimpse into the future, projecting how next season's Louisville women's basketball squad will look like.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We might be just over a week removed from their season-ending loss to South Carolina in the Final Four, but it's never too early to take a glimpse into the future and break down the 2022-23 roster for the Louisville women's basketball program.

While there has been some player movement, Jeff Walz's squad for next year is almost completely set. The Cardinals currently boast 14 scholarship players, one short of the NCAA allotted maximum of 15.

There could be additional transfer portal action in the coming days and weeks, but for now, let's take a look at how this team currently shakes out, and who could see action at what positions.

Departures and Arrivals

So far, the Cardinals only have four players departing the program, but three of them are significant contributors. The biggest loss for Louisville is undoubtedly senior forward Emily Engstler, who is widely expected to be a first round pick in Monday's WNBA Draft. She averaged 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game had a phenomenal NCAA Tournament, and was voted as a First Team All-ACC selection and Associated Press All-American honorable mention.

Louisville is also losing two starters in the backcourt in redshirt senior Kianna Smith and graduate transfer Chelsie Hall. Smith was Louisville's second-leading scorer at 12.0 points per game, and Hall was a tremendous playmaker on both ends of the court with 70 assists and 51 steals.

Like every other program in collegiate athletics, they're also not immune to the transfer portal. After seeing action in only 14 games and playing a team-low 3.1 minutes per game, redshirt sophomore Ramani Parker entered her name into the portal.

To counter that departing talent, Louisville is bringing in yet another loaded recruiting class. The Cardinal signed four top-100 prospects for next season: guard Zyanna Walker, wing Jalyn Brown, forward Nyla Harris and center Imani Lester. Walker and Harris are both ranked just inside the top-40 according to ESPNW HoopGurlz.

Projected Depth Chart

Given all that we know now about the current state of Louisville's roster, below is an early look into what the depth chart next year could look like:

*Mobile users can scroll left & right on the table*

Point Guard	Shooting Guard	Guard/Forward	Power Forward	Center
Mykasa Robinson	Hailey Van Lith	Payton Verhulst	Alexia Mobley	Olivia Cochran
Ahlana Smith	Norika Konno	Zyanna Walker	Nyla Harris	Liz Dixon
	Merissah Russell	Jalyn Brown	Imani Lester	Sydni Schetnan

Louisville will probably have to tap into the transfer portal to get another ball handler on the roster, but even if they do, Mykasa Robinson will likely take back over as the starting point guard. She is one of Louisville's most tenured players on the team, with 128 total games under her belt, bouncing in between starter and sixth women over the past two seasons. Ahlana Smith will also give the Cards plenty of experience at the point, and likely be thrust into a bigger role for her final year in college.

Considering all the starting talent departing the program this offseason, the Cardinals do return arguably their biggest star - Hailey Van Lith. She is setting up to be named a preseason All-American ahead of next season after averaging a team-best 14.4 points per game and having an incredibly hot NCAA Tournament. Behind her, it's a battle between Norika Konno and Merissah Russell at the backup two guard position, as both have showcased their ability to shoot and distribute the ball in limited time on the floor.

While losing Smith is a big deal considering the production she had, Louisville has a lot of potential at the third guard/wing position. Payton Verhulst showed flashes of her potential over her freshman campaign, and saw meaningful minutes in the postseason. Zyanna Walker, the No. 38 prospect in the 2022 cycle, could also carve out an early role due to her capabilities and versatility between the backcourt and the wing. Jalyn Brown, a more true wing, could also push for early playing time as a frosh.

With Emily Engstler going pro and Ramani Parker entering the portal, that makes way for Alexia Mobley to take on a massive role next season. She redshirted this past season after reclassifying from the class of 2022 to 2021, but has a ton of potential. She averaged a double-double in all three years of high school, and was ranked as high as the No. 31 player in the country. Behind her is a pair of promising newcomers in Nyla Harris and Imani Lester, who are ranked the No. 35 and 78 ranked players, respectively, in the 2022 class.  

Down low in the paint, Louisville returns both their starter and backup in Olivia Cochran and Liz Dixon. Cochran was the Cardinals' second leading rebounder behind Engstler at 5.1 per game, and playing a large but under the radar role in their NCAA Tournament run. Liz Dixon also showed that she can give the Cards solid production behind Cochran, and Sydni Schetnan could be in store for a big offseason after having a minimal role in 2021-22.

(Photo of Hailey Van Lith: Matt Cashore - USA TODAY Sports)

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