< PreviousMERISSAH RUSSELL 5-11 | Guard | Sophomore | Ottawa, Ontario (Cairine Wilson)gocards.com n University of Louisville 69 BASKETBALL #13 Merissah Russell Canadian National Team (2021): n Named an alternate on Canada’s women’s basketball team that competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but did not travel n In mid-June, competed for Canada at the FIBA Wom- en’s AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She helped lead Canada to a perfect 4-0 record in pool play and a trip to the semifinals. In the win over El Salvador, she had nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep, while adding two steals. She had six points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc in a win over the U.S. Virgin Islands Freshman Year (2020-21): n Played in 20 games, averaging 2.2 points and 2.2 re- bounds n Recorded six points and five rebounds in 12 minutes at Boston College on 2/4 n Converted on her first collegiate three point field goal in a win at Virginia Tech on 1/7 n Tied her season-high with eight points, including 4-5 from the free throw line, in a win vs. Bellarmine on 1/2 n Scored eight points on 3-4 shooting and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes in collegiate debut at SEMO on 11/25 High School: n Ranked as the 29th best guard by espnW. She was listed as a four-star prospect by Prospects Nation and is rated No. 54 overall by PASS Scouting Service n Played for Canada’s U19 team at the 2019 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. She helped lead Canada to the quarterfinals, where they fell to eventu- al champion USA and head coach Jeff Walz. She finished the tournament averaging 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists n Also a member of Canada’s Senior National team and participated as the youngest player on the roster in a five-game European exhibition tour in Belgium and Great Britain n Was named the MVP of the first ever BioSteele All Cana- dian Girls Game in April, the Canadian version of the Mc- Donald’s All-American game. She finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in that game which featured the top 24 female high school players in Canada Personal: n Born on March 3, 2002 n Daughter of Natalie and Tony Russell, has one sister, Maiyah n Majoring in Exercise Science Favorites: What do you want to do after college: Play in the WNBA and overseas. Become a chiropractor Proudest moment of your life: Representing my national team at the international stage Perfect pizza: Ham, bacon, pineapple, feta cheese and a sprinkle of oregano Favorite musical group/singer: Drake Favorite movie: White Chicks Favorite food: Shrimp Favorite TV show: The Parker’s If you could have a super power: Super speed Favorite social media platform: Snapchat What you like to do outside of playing basketball: Listen to music, watch movies and play fortnite Biggest celebrity crush: Micheal Ealy Most influential person in your life: Mother Who or what inspires or motivates you: My family What has been your greatest challenge to overcome: The yo-yo test One thing not many know about you: I have a black belt in karate Funniest player on the team: Olivia Cochran Best dancer on the team: Ahlana Smith Best singer on the team: Norika Konno Best part of your game: Competing Why you chose UofL: Great coaching staff and teammates that feel like family, Winning culture Favorite thing about UofL: Teammates Favorite thing about playing for Coach Walz: His competitiveness Favorite Coach Walz saying: “Do they do that in Canada?” Points.................................8 at SEMO (11/25/20), vs. Bellarmine (1/2/21) Reb .............................7 vs. Bellarmine (1/2/21) Asst. ...............................3 vs. DePaul (12/4/20) Blocks ...........................1 vs. DePaul (12/4/20) Steals ................................2 vs. EKU (11/29/20) FGM ........3 at SEMO (11/25), vs. UTM (12/6) FGA .................................10 vs. EKU (11/29/20) 3FGM .....................1 at Virginia Tech (1/7/21) 3FGA .................................4 vs. EKU (11/29/20) FT ................................4 vs. Bellarmine (1/2/21) FTA ..............................5 vs. Bellarmine (1/2/21) Min ...............................19 at SEMO (11/25/20) Career Highs Year GP GS Min Avg FG FGA Pct 3FG 3FGA Pct FT FTA Pct OReb DReb Reb Avg PF FO Ast TO Blk Stl Pts Avg 2020-21 20 0 135 6.8 16 36 .444 1 6 .167 10 15 .667 15 29 44 2.2 18 0 8 10 1 4 43 2.2 TOTAL 20 0 135 6.8 16 36 .444 1 6 .167 10 15 .667 15 29 44 2.2 18 0 8 10 1 4 43 2.2 Career StatisticsSYDNI SCHETNAN 6-5 | Forward | Freshman | Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington HS)gocards.com n University of Louisville 71 BASKETBALL #45 Sydni Schetnan High School: n Ranked as No. 69 prospect by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and No. 101 by PASS. Ranked as a three-star pros- pect and the 10th best post player by espnW Hoop Gurlz. Listed as a four-star prospect by Prospects Nation and the 11th best post player n Averaged16.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 57.6% from floor as a senior n Helped lead Washington to 20-2 record in 2020-21, Class AA State Champions and Metro-Conference Champions n Set a school record for blocks in a season with 81 as a senior and set career record with 186 n Named 2021 Class AA All-State First Team, 2021 USA South Dakota Female Basketball Player of the Year, 2021 Class AA Player of the Year, 2021 Argus Leader First-Five Team Member, 2021 Midco Sports Class AA Player of the Year, 2021 Metro All-Conference First Team n Earned First Team Class AA All-State honors in 2020 after averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, while shooting 48 percent from the floor. She blocked an impressive 75 shots in just 20 games, good for 3.8 blocks per game n In 2020, helped lead Washington to a 12-8 record and a spot in the Class AA state basketball tourna- ment. She had 24 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and an assist in a 65-48 win over No. 11 Mitchell in the state playoffs before the cancellation of tournament n Named 2020 Class AA All-State First Team Volleyball n Plans to play both basketball and volleyball at the Universi- ty of Louisville Personal: n Born on December 12, 2002. n Daughter of Thad and Kim, has one sister Jadyn n Major is undecided n Comes from a super-athletic family as her father ran cross country at North Dakota and her mother played basketball at South Dakota State and then ended her career at the University of South Dakota-Sioux Falls n Her Aunt JoElle (Byre) Benson played at South Dakota State University and is in the SD High School Hall of Fame and Washington High School Hall of Fame along with her 1980 Basketball Team. She was also Miss Basketball n Grandpa Elton Byre played at Dakota Weslyan University where we ended with numerous records and is the Da- kota Weslyan Hall of Fame and South Dakota BB Hall of Fame. n She has a cousin that plays football at Iowa, two cousins that played volleyball at SDSU Favorites: Proudest moment of your life: Winning basketball state championship Favorite sports team(s): Milwaukee Bucks Favorite athlete(s): Giannis Antetokounmpo Best compliment you ever received: I have a good music play list Perfect pizza: Taco pizza Favorite musical group/singer: Mac Miller Favorite movie: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Best subject in school: Math Worst subject in school: Science Favorite food: Tacos Favorite TV show: That 70s Show Super Power: Time Travel Favorite cartoon character: Chicken Joe- Surfs Up Favorite social media platform: Snap chat What you like to do outside of playing basketball: Doing activities outdoors Biggest celebrity crush: Pete Davidson Most influential person in your life: My Grandpa Favorite inspirational quote: Look to the Lord and his strength Who or what inspires or motivates you: My Family Greatest challenge to overcome: Working hard to get back on the court after my shoulder surgery One thing not many know about you: I have a strong fear of needles Funniest player on the team: Merissah Russell Best dancer on the team: Ahlana Smith Best singer on the team: Olivia Cochran Best part of your game: Defense Pregame routine: Drinking Red Bull and Gatorade Why you chose UofL: The campus was absolutely perfect and the coaches are super energetic and fun to be coached by Favorite thing about UofL: The fans are my favorite part. Louisville is a college town and I’m so happy to be a part of itPAYTON VERHULST 6-1 | Guard | Freshman | De Soto, Kan. (Bishop Miege)gocards.com n University of Louisville 73 BASKETBALL #12 Payton Verhulst USA Basketball (2021) n Helped USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Cup Team win gold with a 70-52 win over Australia in the champion- ship game at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, contributed three points, six rebounds and two assists in the 70-52 win over Australia in the final n Represented Louisville alongside Elizabeth Dixon, Mykasa Robinson and Kianna Smith at the 2021 Red Bull USA Basketball 3x3 Nationals in Springfield, Mass., finished with a 3-2 overall record and reached the semifinals High School: n Five-star prospect and is ranked as high as No. 8 overall by PASS and No. 9 by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report n espnW Hoop Gurlz ranked her No. 12 overall and as the fourth best guard. Prospect Nation listed her as the 10th best player and fifth best guard n Named USA Today National Female Athlete of the Year, was one of three finalists for the award, which was un- veiled during the USA Today High School Sports Awards Show. The show was hosted by Michael Strahan, the Pro Football Hall of Famer and host of Good Morning America, and Rob Gronkowski, the four-time Super Bowl Champion n Named Kansas’ Girls Basketball Player of the Year and overall Female Athlete of the Year n A three-time Eastern Kansas League MVP, three-time first- team All-State Top 5 by The Capital-Journal and Gatorade Kansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year. n Named a 2021 McDonald’s All-American and to Jordan Brand Classic n Named a 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith National High School Second Team All-American, which places her among the top 10 high school players in the country n Named 2021 Kansas Player of the Year by MaxPreps.com n As a senior, Verhulst led Bishop Miege to a 23-1 record and a Kansas Class 4-A state championship, while averag- ing 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 blocks a game n Named the 2020 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and a Naismith Trophy All-American n First Team All-state following her freshman, sophomore, junior and senior campaigns n As a junior, she started every game and averaged 17.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game while leading Bishop Miege to a 21-2 overall record n During her freshman and sophomore seasons, she helped lead Bishop Miege to a combined 48-1 record, winning the state title as a sophomore and reaching the state ti- tle game as a freshman. She averaged 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.0 blocks as a soph- omore, and 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks as a freshman n Named 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship MVP after leading the team to a 6-0 record and a gold medal in Puerto Aysen, Chile. She started all six games and aver- aged 14.5 points and 2.8 rebounds n Also participated in the 2019 USA Basketball 3x3 U18 Na- tional Championship at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her Blue Star 30 Stars team finished in fourth place with a 5-2 record n Took part in trials for the 2018 USA U17 World Cup Team Personal: n Born on June 1, 2003 n Daughter of Robin and David, has five brothers and sisters - Quinton, Dalton, Ashton, Kirston, Addiston n Majoring in Education/Special Education n Mother (Robin) played basketball at Duke, father (Da- vid) played basketball at Rockhurst, brother Quinton played basketball at St. Mary’s, brother Dalton played basketball at Friends University (Kan.), sister Ashton is currently playing basketball at UCF n Twitter: @payton_verhulst n Instagram: @payton_verhulst Favorites: What do you want to do after college: Become a teacher and coach club basketball Proudest moment of your life: After making the u16 USA team my dad made me a deal that if we won, he would buy us a puppy…we now have a black lab Favorite sports team(s): Kansas Cify Chiefs Favorite athlete(s): Luka Doncic, Kobe, Damian Lilliard, Breanna Stewart, Kelsie Plum, Candace Parker Best compliment you ever received: My smile Perfect pizza: Homemade with LOTS of cheese and the perfect amount of pepperoni Favorite musical group/singer: Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Shawn Mendes Favorite movie: The Sound Of Music Best subject in school: English Worst subject in school: Math Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo and Pizza Favorite TV show: The office/ New Girl Super Power: To fly or to cook anything I want…not a superpower but I want it Favorite cartoon character: Spongebob Favorite social media platform: Snapchat or Instagram What you like to do outside of playing basketball: Spend time with friends and family…go to other sporting events Biggest celebrity crush: Shawn Mendes, Pete Davidson, Chris Evans and Evan Peters Most influential person in your life: My mom and older sister Favorite inspirational quote: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up” Who or what inspires or motivates you: My family Greatest challenge to overcome: Staying positive One thing not many know about you: I’m a reigning champ in Spikeball…against my family Funniest player on the team: Olivia Cochran Best dancer on the team: Ahlana Smith or Chelsie Hall Best singer on the team: Norika Konno Best part of your game: Versatility Pregame routine: Don’t have one yet but I am superstitious so whatever it is, it will stick Why you chose UofL: I had great relationships with the coaches and it’s a winning program but there are still things to be accomplished. Favorite thing about UofL: The atmosphere Favorite thing about playing for Coach Walz: He doesn’t sugarcoat things and he genuinely cares for each of his players Favorite Coach Walz saying: “…there’s this new concept and it actually started in (input any players hometown)... it doesn’t matter because it’s obviously not trueALEXIA MOBLEY 6-2 | Forward | Freshman | Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Reynoldsburg)gocards.com n University of Louisville 75 BASKETBALL #3 Alexia Mobley High School: n Ranked a four-star player and No.31 overall as the seventh best wing in the Class of 2022 by espnW Hoop Gurlz n Named to the 2020 OPSWA Division II First-Team Ohio n Averaged a double-double in all three years in high school n Reached 1,000 career rebounds in a 61-40 win over Cen- tral Crossing n Recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds in Division I regional semifinal vs. Dublin Coffman n As a junior, averaged 12 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks per game to lead Reynoldsburg to an 18-4 record and district championship n As a sophomore at Whitehall-Yearling, named First-Team All-State and MSL-Ohio Player of the Year after averaging 17.9 points and 20.7 rebounds, and three blocks in 21 games n Ranked fourth nationally in rebounding with 20.7 per game as a sophomore, recorded double-digit rebounds in 13 of 21 games, including a school season record 402 rebounds and single-game record 29 boards n Appeared in all games as a freshman for Reynoldsburg n Was Reynoldsburg High School’s valedictorian, finishing with the 4.2 GPA and graduating a year early in May 2021 Personal: n Daughter of Cynthia and Alvin Mobley, has one brother Josiah n Her father Alvin played basketball overseas after colle- giate career at VCU and her mother played basketball at Stetson n Born on Jan. 26, 2004 n Majoring in sports administration n Twitter: @alexiamobley23 n Instagram: @alexiamobley23 Favorites: What do you want to do after college: Play for the WNBA, media broadcasting and model Proudest moment of your life: Graduating high school in three years and being valedictorian Favorite sports team(s): Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Sky Favorite athlete(s): Kevin Durant, Candace Parker, and Serena Williams Best compliment you ever received: “You have long beautiful legs” Perfect pizza: A lot of cheese with pepperoni Favorite musical group(s)/singer(s): Jasmine Sullivan, Whitney Houston, Cece Winan, Maverick City Music, Rod Wave Favorite movie: Love and Basketball Best subject in school: Math Worst subject in school: Language Arts Favorite food: Seafood Favorite TV show: Moesha, Manifest, Blood and Water Super Power: Move things with my mind or mind read Favorite cartoon character: Jerry from Tom and Jerry Favorite social media platform: Tik tok What you like to do outside of playing basketball: listen to music, hang out with friends and family, watch movies, and go online shopping Biggest celebrity crush: Morris Chesnut Most influential person in your life: My mom Favorite inspirational quote: “Let go and Let God” Who or what inspires or motivates you: God and My mom Greatest challenge to overcome: Losing My Grandmother One thing not many know about you: I’m a 90’s girl at heart Funniest player on the team: Olivia Cochran Best dancer on the team: Alhana Smith Best singer on the team: Norika Konno Best part of your game: My rebounding and defense Pregame routine: Listen to gospel rap while stretching in the locker room Why you chose UofL: The Family atmosphere, the coaches and their coaching strategies Favorite thing about UofL: The amazing fanbase Favorite thing about playing for Coach Walz: He will make you better as a person and as a player. Favorite Coach Walz saying: Make a new mistake76 University of Louisville n gocards.com BASKETBALL Roster Analysis Letterwinners Returning (9) No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr.-Exp Hometown (Previous School) GP-GS PPG RPG APG 0 Ramani Parker F 6-4 R-So./2L Fresno, Calif. (Montverde Academy) 17-0 2.7 2.2 0.1 2 Ahlana Smith G 5-9 Sr/1L Charlotte, N.C. (Gulf Coast State) 27-5 2.8 0.9 0.7 5 Mykasa Robinson G 5-7 Sr./3L Ashland, Ky. (Ashland Blazer) 30-17 2.6 4.4 2.2 10 Hailey Van Lith G 5-7 So./1L Wenatchee, Wash. (Cashmere) 30-30 11.2 5.2 2.1 11 Norika Konno G 5-10 Jr./2L Sendai, Japan (Seiwa) 30-0 3.4 1.4 0.9 13 Merissah Russell G 5-11 So./1L Ottawa, Ontario (Cairine Wilson) 20-0 2.2 2.2 0.4 14 Kianna Smith G 6-0 R-Sr./1L Moreno Valley, Calif. (California) 28-20 11.4 3.9 2.2 22 Liz Dixon F 6-5 Sr./2L Memphis, Tenn. (Georgia Tech) 30-7 7.6 5.4 0.4 44 Olivia Cochran F 6-3 So./1L Columbus, Ga. (Carver) 29-25 9.9 6.9 0.7 The Cardinals return nine players from last year’s team, including six that made starts in 2020-21 (Van Lith, Cochran, K. Smith, Robinson, Dixon, A. Smith) Newcomers (5) No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr.-Exp Hometown (Previous School) PPG RPG 3 Alexia Mobley F 6-2 Fr./HS Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Reynoldsburg) 12 Payton Verhulst G 6-1 Fr./HS De Soto, Kan. (Bishop Miege) 20.0 7.5 21 Emily Engstler F 6-1 Sr./3L New York, N.Y. (Syracuse) 10.5 9.1 23 Chelsie Hall G 5-7 Gr./4L Boca Raton, Fla. (Vanderbilt) 15.4 4.8 45 Sydni Schetnan F 6-5 Fr./HS Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington HS) 12.8 8.3 Louisville added Verhulst and Schetnan on signing day in November and ESPN Hoop Gurlz rated their class No. 18 in the country; in the summer they later added Engstler (Syracuse) and Hall (Vanderbilt), along with Mobley. Letterwinners Lost (3) No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr.-Exp Hometown (Previous School) GP-GS PPG RPG APG 1 Dana Evans G 5-6 Sr./4L Gary, Ind. (West Side) 30-30 20.1 2.7 3.9 3 Malea Williams F 6-4 Fr./1L Georgetown, Ky. (Scott County) 8-0 1.5 0.6 0.0 4 Elizabeth Balogun G 6-1 Jr./2L Chattanooga, Tenn. (Georgia Tech) 29-16 5.8 3.8 1.7 Louisville lost Dana Evans to graduation and two to transfer. Dana Evans was selected by the Dallas Wings with the 13th overall pick of the 2021 WNBA Draft. She is UofL’s sixth WNBA Draft pick in the past three years, which is tied for the most in the country. n Starters Returning (4): Olivia Cochran, Mykasa Robinson, Kianna Smith, Hailey Van Lith n Starters Lost (1): Dana Evans n Letterwinners Returning: 9 (listed above) n Letterwinners Lost: 3 (listed above) n Newcomers: 5 (listed above; three high school products, one transfer, one graduate transfer) n Seniors: 6 (Liz Dixon, Emily Engstler, Chelsie Hall, Mykasa Robinson, Ahlana Smith, Kianna Smith) n Juniors: 1 (Norika Konno) n Sophomores: 4 (Olivia Cochran, Ramani Parker, Merissah Russell, Hailey Van Lith) n Freshmen: 3 (Alexia Mobley, Sydni Schetnan, Payton Verhulst) n Players by State/Country: California (2) – Ramani Parker, Kianna Smith Florida (1) – Chelsie Hall Georgia (1) – Olivia Cochran Kansas (1) – Payton Verhulst Kentucky (1) – Mykasa Robinson New York (1) – Emily Engstler North Carolina (1) – Ahlana Smith Ohio (1) – Alexia Mobley South Dakota (1) – Sydni Schetnan Tennessee (1) – Liz Dixon Washington (1) – Hailey Van Lith Canada (1) – Merissah Russell Japan (1) – Norika Konno n Tallest Players: Liz Dixon & Sydni Schetnan, 6-5 n Shortest Player: Chelsie Hall, Mykasa Robinson & Hailey Van Lith, 5-7 n Oldest Player: Chelsie Hall, 22 (born Jan. 12, 1999) n Youngest Player: Alexia Mobley, 18 (Jan. 26, 2003) n In-Season Birthdays: Olivia Cochran, Nov. 13, 2001 (will be 20), Ahlana Smith, Nov. 17, 2000 (will be 21), Sydni Schetnan, Dec. 12, 2002 (will be 19), Chelsie Hall, Jan. 12, 1999 (will be 23), Alexia Mobley, Jan. 26, 2003 (will be 19), Mykasa Robinson, Feb. 6, 2000 (will be 22); Merissah Russell, March 3, 2002 (will be 20) Miscellaneous Roster Informationgocards.com n University of Louisville 77 BASKETBALL Radio/TV Chart F | 6-4 | R-So. Fresno, Calif. (Montverde Academy) 0 F | 6-2 | Fr. Reynoldsburg, Ohio (Reynoldsburg) 3 G | 5-7 | Sr. Ashland, Ky. (Ashland Blazer) 5 G | 5-7 | So. Wenatchee, Wash. (Cashmere) 10 G | 5-9 | Sr. Charlotte, N.C. (Gulf Coast State) 2 G | 5-10 | Jr. Sendai, Japan (Seiwa) 11 G | 6-0 | R-Sr. Moreno Valley, Calif. (California) 14 G | 6-1 | Fr. De Soto, Kan. (Bishop Miege) 12 F | 6-5 | Sr. Memphis, Tenn. (Georgia Tech) 22 Head CoachAssociate Head CoachAssistant CoachAssociate Coach Coaching Staff G | 5-7 | Gr. Boca Raton, Fla. (Vanderbilt) 23 G | 5-11 | So. Ottawa, Ontario (Cairine Wilson) 13 F | 6-1 | Sr. New York, N.Y. (Syracuse) 21 F | 6-3 | So. Columbus, Ga. (Carver) 44 Director of Operations F | 6-5 | Fr. Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington HS) 45Next >