Louisville Women's Basketball 2026-27 Roster Outlook 1.0

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

Feb 26, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Tajianna Roberts (22) handles the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville women's basketball program is coming off of a successful 2025-26 season.

Year 19 under head coach Jeff Walz saw the Cardinals go 29-8 overall, which clinched their 16th-consecutive 20-win season. During that, UofL opened ACC play at 11-0 en route to going 15-3, finishing as the runner-up for the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles to Duke. Louisville also got back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023, ultimately falling to Michigan in the Sweet 16.

While we're roughly a week and a half removed from the national championship game, it's never too early to take a glimpse into the future and break down the projected 2026-27 roster for the Louisville women's basketball program.

All things considering, it's relatively early in the offseason. That being said, there has already been a good amount of player movement, and Walz's squad for next year is close to being set. There's still a chance we could see some more moving pieces, considering the 15-day transfer window for women's hoops doesn't close until Apr. 20, but for now, let's take a look at how this team currently shakes out.

Departures and Arrivals

As previously referenced, Louisville has a handful of players who have played their final games in the red and black. The Cardinals are losing Reyna Scott and Laura Ziegler to graduation, while Peyton Bradley, Anaya Hardy, Isla Juffermans and Skylar Jones entered the transfer portal after the season wrapped up. UofL and Skylar Jones also parted way prior to the NCAA Tournament.

That being said, Louisville already has six newcomers in the fold to replace the seven who are moving on. Via the portal, Virginia Tech forward Carys Baker, NC State guard Zamareya Jones and Tennessee wing Deniya Prawl have all opted to transfer to UofL. As part of their incoming high school recruiting class, Westerville (Oh.) SPIRE Institute guard Ariyana "Peanut" Cradle, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead guard Myah Epps and Turkish forward Ayse Melek Demirer are all joining the fold.

Put it all together, and as of this writing, that puts Louisville at an 14-man scholarship roster for the 2026-27 season - one player below the scholarship cap in women's basketball. While there is one more spot to play with, Walz has shown in the past that he has no issue keeping a team just under the cap. For instance, last season's team had 14 players.

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*

PG	SG	G/F	PF	C
Tajianna Roberts	Zamareya Jones	Mackenly Randolph	Carys Baker	Elif Istanbulluoglu
Rebekah Graves	Imari Berry	Deniya Prawl	Yevheniia Putra	Grace Mbugua
Myah Epps	Ariyana Cradle	Reagan Bender		Ayse Melek Demirer

In the backcourt, Louisville has three high level options to utilize next season, two of which are running it back for their junior seasons. Roberts has been an elite scorer since she stepped foot on campus, and took a step forward in terms of her ability to run the offense. Berry took a much-needed step forward in her sophomore campaign, becoming one of Louisville' sbest defenders and serving as a reliable spark plug off the bench. This is a role she'll likely continue to have next season, considering Jones was an electric scorer for NC State this past season and one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the ACC. There will likely be a significant dip in minutes to Graves and Cradle, considering Graves scored the fewest point on the roster last season and Cradle is an incoming freshman - although she has a high ceiling as a top-40 recruit. As for Epps, I simply hope she'll be able to make a full recovery after being in a serious car wreck.

Over on the wing, Randolph is primed for another big time step forward next season. Not only did she become one of Louisville's best rebounders, but she played some of her best basketball over the final few weeks of the season. A development to monitor is how Prawl progresses. She has a boatload of talent as a former five-star prospect, but didn't make a massive impact in her true freshman campaign at Tennessee. Bender will likely play behind the aforementioned two and the top three backcourt options, but he has flashed a couple good things here and there.

Moving to the front court, the Cards have a fantastic one-two punch in Baker and Istanbulluoglu. Baker is an upper tier stretch four, as she great is around the rim both as a scorer and a defender, and is a deadeye shooter from deep. Istanbulluoglu took an impressive step forward this past season, putting together a breakout junior campaign where she excelled on the block as a low post asset. There is a bit of a dip beyond those two. Mbugua and Putra didn't play a ton last season and will need to take collective steps forward, and Demirer will be a true freshman coming from overseas.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for the latest news.

(Photo of