If you walked into the KFC Yum! Center lately, you'd feel it. There’s this specific kind of electricity that only happens when a team is firing on all cylinders. Honestly, the latest louisville women's basketball score isn't just a number on a Jumbotron anymore; it’s a statement.
On Thursday night, January 15, 2026, the Cardinals went into South Bend and basically dismantled Notre Dame. 79-66. That’s the final. But the score doesn't tell you how Reyna Scott looked like she was playing at a different speed than everyone else on the floor. It doesn't show you the grit of a team that’s now 17-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the ACC.
People keep waiting for the "rebuilding year" to actually happen. It’s not happening.
Breaking Down the Recent Louisville Women's Basketball Score
Let's look at that Notre Dame game. The Irish are no joke—ranked No. 23 in the country, playing at home in Purcell Pavilion. They actually led 17-16 after the first quarter. Then Louisville decided they'd had enough. They outscored the Irish 21-16 in the second and never really looked back.
Reyna Scott was a monster off the bench. She dropped 20 points in 28 minutes. Think about that. She was 9-of-13 from the field. Efficient. Deadly. Tajianna Roberts added 19, showing exactly why Jeff Walz trusts her with 36 minutes of floor time.
The defense is what's really terrifying for the rest of the ACC. They held Notre Dame to just 10 points in the fourth quarter. Ten. You aren't winning many games when you go cold in the final ten minutes against a Walz-coached squad.
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The January Heat Wave
If you’ve been tracking the louisville women's basketball score over the last few weeks, you’ll notice a trend. They aren't just winning; they are suffocating people.
- January 11: Louisville 86, Pitt 46. A 40-point blowout where 12 players got minutes.
- January 8: Louisville 77, Miami 68. A tougher road test, but they pulled away in the third quarter.
- January 4: Louisville 85, Virginia Tech 60. This was a massive day—Jeff Walz got his 500th career win.
- January 1: Louisville 91, SMU 58. A New Year’s Day clinic.
They are averaging about 82.7 points per game while giving up only 58.6. That’s a scoring margin of +24.1. In the world of high-major college hoops, that is an absurd gap.
The 500-Win Man: Jeff Walz's Masterclass
You can't talk about a Louisville score without talking about the guy on the sidelines. Jeff Walz is officially in the 500-win club. He hit the milestone against Virginia Tech, and he did it faster than almost anyone in the history of the sport. Only Kim Mulkey and Geno Auriemma reached 500 faster.
That's the company he’s keeping.
What’s wild is how he’s doing it this year. This roster is a mix of veteran transfers and high-upside youth. Laura Ziegler, the senior forward from Denmark, is basically a walking double-double. She’s averaging over 10 points and 7.5 rebounds. She’s the glue. Then you have the "new" faces like Mackenly Randolph and Imari Berry who are playing like they've been in the system for a decade.
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Walz has this weird ability to take a bunch of talented individuals and make them play a style of defense that makes opposing point guards want to quit. It's high-pressure. It's exhausting to watch, let alone play against.
Who is carrying the load?
Tajianna Roberts is currently leading the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game. She’s a sophomore. Let that sink in. She’s shooting 37.3% from three, which keeps the floor spaced for Elif Istanbulluoglu and Anaya Hardy to work inside.
Honestly, the bench is the secret sauce. When you can bring someone like Skylar Jones or Reyna Scott off the pine to provide immediate scoring, the louisville women's basketball score stays high even when the starters are resting. Scott is shooting over 50% from the field this season. That is remarkably consistent for a guard.
Why the Computers Love the Cards
The analytics are starting to catch up to what the eye test tells us. Louisville is currently 4th in the ACC in scoring defense, but 2nd in scoring offense. They are a balanced nightmare.
Most teams have a "tell." You know, they either can't shoot or they can't rebound. Louisville is out-rebounding opponents by about 10 boards a game. They are force-feeding the post and then kicking it out to Roberts or Ziegler when the double-team comes. It’s basic, but it’s executed at such a high level that it’s nearly impossible to stop for 40 minutes.
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The only real "blemishes" on the record were early losses to UConn and South Carolina—the literal giants of the sport—and a weird 10-point loss to Kentucky back in November. Since that Kentucky loss, they’ve been on a tear.
What’s Next for the Cards?
The schedule doesn't get easier. They travel to NC State on January 18. That’s going to be a slugfest. NC State is right there at the top of the conference standings, and Reynolds Coliseum is a loud, tiny box of a gym that eats visiting teams alive.
After that, they have a trip to the West Coast to face Stanford and Cal. It’s the new reality of the ACC. Traveling to Palo Alto for a conference game sounds fake, but it’s where the points will be tallied.
How to Keep Up
If you're looking for the louisville women's basketball score in real-time, you've got a few options. The games are almost always on the ACC Network or ESPN+.
But if you really want to understand the team, watch the third quarter. That’s usually when Louisville makes their move. In the Miami game, they dropped 27 points in the third. Against Notre Dame, they put up 25. It’s like they spend the first half scouting your weaknesses and the second half exploiting them until you break.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the NET Rankings: Keep an eye on how Louisville moves in the NCAA’s NET rankings after the NC State game; this determines their seeding for the big dance in March.
- Watch the Rotation: Pay attention to Reyna Scott’s minutes. If she continues to provide 20-point sparks off the bench, Louisville is a legitimate Final Four contender.
- Track the Home Stand: The Cards return to the KFC Yum! Center on January 25 against Boston College. If you're local, go. The atmosphere is a huge part of why they are 11-2 at home this year.
- Follow the Stats: Monitor the rebounding margin. As long as Ziegler and Istanbulluoglu are winning the boards, Louisville wins the game.