Louisville head coach Jeff Walz met with reporters after his team’s narrow 79–77 defeat to South Carolina on Thursday night. He broke down what he saw from his players, where things went right, and what ultimately cost them the game. Here’s a full recap of his postgame comments.
Walz opened by acknowledging the disappointment of falling short but emphasized the overall quality of Louisville’s performance compared to earlier games this season.
“We played well, not well enough to win,” Walz said. “I thought we executed well throughout the entire game, had some great looks throughout the game. We go six-of-10 at the free-throw line, something that we have not done all year. We’re a much better free-throw shooting team. And then, we probably missed four or five layups. And that’s an area of the game that we talk about all the time. You’ve got to be able to finish around the rim, especially when it’s a clear drive.
“I thought we rebounded the ball well, did a really nice job of getting second-chance opportunities. And, defensively, they shot close to 50 percent, but so did we. But, unfortunately, we just didn’t come up with a stop or two there at the end.”
When asked how a strong showing against a powerhouse like South Carolina might boost the team’s confidence, Walz stressed that consistency is the next step.
“Well, we’ve just got to be able to do it day in and day out,” he said. “I mean, it’s one game. It’s great. I thought we did play four good quarters, which is the first time we’ve done that. And, now, we’ll get a chance to get back to practice tomorrow… it’s a matter of, ‘Okay, can we now have the same performance on Sunday, at least execution-wise, as we did in the game tonight?’”
Walz had high praise for Elif Istanbulluoglu, who delivered one of her best outings of the season.
“She played well. She’s been getting in the gym; she’s been shooting more. She’s been working individually. And it’s what she can do,” Walz said. “She made some really nice drives… came up with nine boards. So, she played well.
“I thought Skylar (Jones) and Reyna (Scott), everybody competed and played hard. Unfortunately, we just came out on the short side of the scoreboard.”
He also addressed Laura Ziegler’s quiet scoring night and how South Carolina limited her opportunities.
“We tried a little something to put her to point… But when you do that, then it takes her away from scoring,” he explained. Walz praised her effort, composure, and leadership, adding, “The kid’s a winner… What hurt us on two occasions was we missed some layups and laid on the ground upset that we missed it instead of getting our ass up and sprint down the floor. And they scored five points.”
He emphasized Ziegler’s professionalism, calling her a player WNBA scouts should value for her intangible qualities.
Reflecting on the team’s competitiveness—something he had challenged them on after the Nov. 22 Kentucky loss—Walz said the fight he wanted to see was finally there.
“I thought we competed, without a doubt, tonight… Our effort was great,” he said. “If we can give this effort every night, I like my chances.”
Asked about Tajianna Roberts, who was visibly frustrated after missing Louisville’s final shot, Walz said he was proud of her taking—and wanting—the big moment.
“It’s part of the game. I mean, you’re going to miss some… If you want to be the hero, you got to be willing to be the goat,” he said. Walz added that the play was perfectly executed, noting Roberts had hit from the same spot minutes earlier.
Toward the end of his media availability, Walz said he hopes this game reveals something important to his players about their ability to compete at a high level.
“Well, I hope it does,” he said. “I hope it shows them that, ‘Hey, we can compete with anybody if we play for four quarters.’ You just can’t take a quarter off… Unfortunately, we just didn’t make the big stop at the right time.”
