Louisville's Way-Too-Early Starting Lineup Projection for 2026-27

If next season started today, this is who the starting five would be for the Cardinals's women's basketball program.

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Tajianna Roberts (22) dribbles against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the third quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program's 2025-26 season concluded this past weekend, with their run in the NCAA Tournament coming to an end against Michigan in the Sweet 16. The offseason for the Cardinals might just be a few days old, but the arduous task of roster construction has just begun.

Fotunately, it's extremely likely that head coach Jeff Walz will not have to completely flip his roster like he had to do a couple offseasons ago. As of right now, the Cardinals are only set to lose three players from their 2025-26 roster. Not to mention they're welcoming three players in their 2026 recruiting class.

With that in mind, Louisville already has 13 players currently on their roster for the 2026-27 season. Of course, this has a chance to change once the 15-day transfer portal opens up on Apr. 6, but if next season were to start today, what would be Louisville's starting five?

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Tajianna Roberts (22) dribbles against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the third quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Point Guard: Tajianna Roberts

Out of all the prospects in Louisville's extremely talented and productive 2024 recruiting class, Roberts has arguably been the best player in college up to this point. The 5-foot-10 guard has been a starter from day one, and is coming off of a sophomore campaign worthy of Second-Team All-ACC honors. On a team with an incredibly deep bench, she still led the Cardinals in scoring and assists at 11.5 points and 3.1 assists, while shooting 38.9 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent on three-point tries.

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Imari Berry (2) shoots against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the fourth quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Shooting Guard: Imari Berry

Berry might not have been a starter, but don't let that fool you. She was one of Louisville's most crucial assets this season, paving the way for her to earn Second-Team All-ACC honors and be named the league's Sixth Player of the Year. Playing in all 37 games with just two starts, the 5-foot-10 guard was the Cardinals' third-leading scorer at 10.9 points per game, while also hauling in 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. She shot 43.8 percent from the field, as well as a team-best 37.1 percent on threes.

Feb 1, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward MacKenly Randolph (4) dribbles against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Guard/Forward: Mackenly Randolph

Randolph is one of the two returners to start all 37 games this past season (along with Roberts) after taking a big step forward from her freshman year. This season as a sophomore, the 6-foot-0 forward - who is the daughter of former NBA All-Star Zach Randolph - scored 8.5 points per game was their second-leading rebounder at 5.6 per game. She also connected on 53.0 percent of her field goal attempts, which was the second-highest on the team.

Louisville Cardinals forward Elif Istanbulluoglu (11) waves a March Madness banner after the Cards defeated Alabama 69-68 to move on to the Sweet 16 during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. Istanbulluoglu finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. March 23, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Power Forward: Elif Istanbulluoglu

No one on Louisville took a bigger step forward from last season than Istanbulluoglu, so much so that she even finished third in the league's Most Improved Player voting. Starting and playing in all but one game, the 6-foot-3 forward averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while also shooting 50.4 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent on threes. For context, she averaged just 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds a game the season prior.

Feb 1, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Anaya Hardy (9) dunks before the game against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Center: Anaya Hardy

Hardy had an interesting role for Louisville this season. While she made 27 starts and played in 35 games, her 11.3 minutes per game was just eighth on the team. That being said, she has shown promise. She finished the season averaging 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and her 66.7 field goal percentage was not only best on the team - it would be good for second in D1 if it qualified nationally. It seems that, sooner rather than later, she'll be able to show her dunking ability in an actual game.

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(Photo of Tajianna Roberts: Brett Davis - Imagn Images)