FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — There will be a lot of sophomores who can shine when Michigan plays Louisville in the women’s Sweet 16. That is exactly how both of these teams got this far into March.

Second-seeded Michigan’s top three scorers are sophomores who have started every game since getting to Ann Arbor. Third-seeded Louisville (29-7) has three sophomore starters, leading scorer Tajianna Roberts with forwards Mackenly Randolph and Anaya Hardy, in the lineup with two international upperclassmen.

kAm“*@FE9 😀 H@?56C7F= 3642FD6 E96J 5@?’E D@>6E:>6D C62=:K6 H92E E96J’C6 C62==J 5@:?8[ H92E E96J’C6 A=2J:?8 2?5 H92E E9:D >62?D E@ 36 @?6 @7 `e E62>D =67E[” D2:5 4@249 y677 (2=K[ H9@ 92D {@F:DG:==6 😕 :ED `bE9 $H66E `e 27E6C 62C=J 6I:ED E96 A2DE EH@ }rpp %@FC?2>6?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 82>6 H:E9 2 3F?49 @7 D64@?5\J62C A=2J6CD 😕 E96 u@CE (@CE9 #68:@?2= b D6>:7:?2=D @? $2EFC52J H:== 36 7@==@H65 3J 2 $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46 C6>2E49 36EH66? E@A D665 %6I2D Wbb\bX 2?5 z6?EF4^2CE:4=6^<6?EF4

kAm|:49:82? D@A9@>@C6 8F2C5D ~=:G:2 ~=D@?[ |:=2 w@==@H2J 2?5 $J=2 $H@C5D 2== >256 E96:C 4@==686 563FED 😕 E96 a_ac\ad D62D@? @A6?6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:49:82?\D@FE9\42C@=:?2\D4@C6\E@A\ad\hed`6472g7dg3dcefddabg`fhh3cegg4Qm282:?DE E96?\5676?5:?8 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@? $@FE9 r2C@=:?2k^2m 😕 2 eg\ea =@DD] %96J H@? 2 7:CDE\C@F?5 }rpp 82>6 =2DE D62D@?[ H6C6 E96 q:8 %6? C68F=2C\D62D@? CF??6C\FA 369:?5 }@] ` D665 &r{p E9:D J62C 2?5 2C6 ?@H ECJ:?8 E@ 86E E96 (@=G6C:?6D Waf\eX E@ E96:C D64@?5 t=:E6 t:89E]k^Am

kAm“(6’C6 ;FDE C62==J FD:?8 @FC 6IA6C:6?46 2D 7F6= E@ <66A 8@:?8 2?5 244@>A=:D9 @FC 8@2=D] (6 244@>A=:D965 @FC 8@2= @7 36:?8 23=6 E@ 9@DE[ 2?5 x E9:?< H6’C6 E2<:?8 8C62E DEC:56D[Q D2:5 ~=D@?[ E96 =625:?8 D4@C6C 2E `h]a A@:?ED 2 82>6[ 29625 @7 $H@C5D W`c]gX 2?5 w@==@H2J W`a]eX] QxE’D 366? C62==J 4@@= E@ ;FDE 36 D@A9@>@C6D[ 3FE H6 5@?’E H2?E E@ ;FDE 36 @H? 2D D@A9@>@C6D] (6 H2?E E@ >2<6 :E 2D 72C 2D H6 42?]”k^Am

kAm%96 (@=G6C:?6D 2C6 `a\b D:?46 2 fa\eh =@DD E@ $H66E `e E62> ‘2?56C3:=E @? y2?] `h[ H:E9 E96 @?=J =@DD6D 😕 E92E DA2? 36:?8 eh\ee E@ &r{p 2?5 EH@ 3J 5@F3=6 5:8:ED E@ x@H2]k^Am

k9am%6I2D 2?5 z6?EF466E 282:?k^9am

kAm%9:D 😀 E96 D64@?5 J62C 😕 2 C@H E92E %6I2D 😀 724:?8 2? $tr E62> 😕 E96 $H66E `e[ 27E6C 362E:?8 %6??6DD66 =2DE |2C49 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E6I2D\C@C:\92C>@?\C6EFC?D\65b4`ff56fe6cef2353ad`224g2`agbgQm@? :ED H2J E@ E96 u:?2= u@FCk^2m]k^Am

kAmpD:56 7C@> 324<\E@\324< C@25 =@DD6D 2E $H66E `e E62>D {$& 2?5 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 😕 >:5\y2?F2CJ[ E96 {@?89@C?DV @E96C =@DD H2D ge\f_ 2E ‘2?56C3:=E E9C66 52JD 27E6C 362E:?8 z6?EF46 H:??:?8 DEC62< D:?46 :?4=F56D E96 $tr %@FC?2>6?E 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am

kAm“%@ C6A=246 E9C66 DE2CE6CD 7C@> @FC u:?2= u@FC E62> 2 J62C 28@ 2?5 7@C E96> E@ A=2J E96 H2J E96J’G6 A=2J65[ C6DA@?565 E9:D J62C 5FC:?8 ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 E@F89 E:>6D[ E96J’G6 A=2J65 C62==J H6== >@DE @7 E96 J62C] ]]] %96J 92G6 ;FDE A=2J65 C62==J[ C62==J H6== 96C6 E96 =2DE >@?E9[” %6I2D 4@249 ‘:4 $492676C D2:5] “%96J 2C6 E@F89] %96J 92G6 A=2J65 E96 82>6 E96 C:89E H2J]”k^Am

kAmz6??J qC@@A=6E6=J EFC?65 @G6C z6?EF4

kAm%96 (:=542EDV =@DD 😕 pFDE:? H2D E96:C 7:7E9 😕 D:I 82>6D[ 3FE E96J 2C6 😕 E96:C 7:CDE $H66E `e 😕 `_ D62D@?D 27E6C 8@:?8 f\b D:?46] %96J =@DE g`\fh 2E ‘2?5J 2?5 EH:46 E@ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2]k^Am

kAm“~3G:@FD=J x E9:?< 96VD 2 8C62E 4@249[” D2:5 e\7@@E\d ;F?:@C 46?E6C r=2C2 $EC24<[ H9@ 42>6 H:E9 qC@@ ‘:C8:?:2 %649] “w6 5@6D 2 8@@5 ;@3 2E 86EE:?8 2 =@E @FE @7 9:D A=2J6CD 2?5 E96? 36:?8 23=6 E@[ =:<6[ 86E FD 2== E@ A=2J E@86E96C] (6 92G6?’E 2== A=2J65 E@86E96C 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[ D@ x E9:?< W96VD 366?X 23=6 E@ 3F:=5 E92E 496>:DECJ H:E9 E96 E62> 2?5 E96? 23=6 E@ 86E 2 =@E @FE @7 FD]”k^Am

k9amr2C5D DAC625 E96:C D4@C:?8k^9am

kAm$:I 5:776C6?E {@F:DG:==6 A=2J6CD 92G6 925 a_\A@:?E 82>6D E9:D D62D@?] %96:C E@A D6G6? D4@C6CD 2G6C286 36EH66? g]a 2?5 “]e A@:?ED A6C 82>6[ 2?5 2== 2C6 42A23=6 b\A@:?E6C D9@@E6CD]k^Am

kAm“%92E’D @FC 7@F?52E:@?] {:<6[ H6 2=H2JD 2C6 52?86C@FD[” D2:5 7@CH2C5 {2FC2 +:68=6C[ E96 8C25 EC2?D76C 7C@> $2:?E y@D6A9’D H9@ 2G6C286D “]a A@:?ED]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 C6=:67 😕 2 D6?D6] x7 x 5@?’E 92G6 :E 8@:?8 E92E ?:89E[ >J D9@E 😀 ?@E 72==:?8[ >J ;@3 😀 E@ 86E :?E@ E96 A2:?E 2?5 86E :E E@ D@>63@5J H9@ 😀 D4@C:?8[” #@36CED D2:5] “%96C6’D ?@E 366? 2 52J H96C6 2== @7 FD[ 2== 7:G6 @7 FD[ 92G6 366? 4=:4<:?8[ 3FE E96C6 2=D@ 92D?’E 366? 2 52J H96C6 ?@?6 @7 FD 2C6 4=:4<:?8]”k^Am

k9amq24< 😕 u@CE (@CE9 W2?5 ?62C s2==2DXk^9am

kAm%6I2D A=2J65 2 C68F=2C\D62D@? 82>6 2E s:4<:6D pC6?2 @? s64] `c[ H96? p==\p>6C:42 7@CH2C5 |25:D@? q@@<6C 925 af A@:?ED 😕 2? gh\dc H:? @G6C q2J=@C 😕 2 E@A\`d >2E49FA ;FDE F?56C a__ >:=6D 7C@> E96:C 42>AFD]k^Am

kAm“(6 6H E92E H2D 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ E@ 36 96C6 E@H2C5D E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C[” D@A9@>@C6 8F2C5 y@C52? {66 D2:5] “%96C6’D 2 8@@5 25G2?E286 @7 92G:?8 72>:=:2C:EJ 😕 36:?8 @? E96 4@FCE] ]]] (6VC6 6I4:E65 E@ 36 96C6[ 2?5 6DA64:2==J 😕 E96 DE2E6 @7 %6I2D]”k^Am

kAm{@F:DG:==6VD }rpp %@FC?2>6?E CF? =2DE D62D@? 6?565 😕 u@CE (@CE9[ @? %r&VD 42>AFD @?=J 23@FE b >:=6D 2H2J[ 😕 2 D64@?5\C@F?5 82>6 282:?DE E96 w@C?65 uC@8D]k^Am

kAm$4926776C 2?5 z6??J qC@@D E@ u:?2= u@FCD A=2J65 23@FE bd >:=6D 2H2J 2E E96 9@>6 @7 E96 }qpVD s2==2D |2G6C:4

kAm$4926776C H2D |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6VD 4@249 😕 a_`f H96? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^EI\DE2E6\H:C6\>D\DE2E6\H:C6\f`22`72a25dacf_bha`4_dhd4`ca7466QmqF==5@8D 6?565 &r@??VD “`\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62:7:?2=D 😕 s2==2D[ E96? =@DE E@ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2] qC@@ 2E ‘:C8:?:2 %649 =@DE 😕 E96 a_ab D6>:7:?2=D E@ 6G6?EF2= ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@? {$&]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |2C49 |25?6DD 3C24<6Ei k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?422\H@>6?D\3C24<6EQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?422\H@>6?D\3C24<6Ek^2m 2?5 4@G6C286i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>2C49\>25?6DDQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>2C49\>25?6DDk^2mk^Am








Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.