NCAAW: No. 18 Louisville, No. 20 Kentucky meet in in-state showdown

Saturday brings a battle for bragging rights in the Bluegrass State, with the No. 18 Louisville Cardinals (2-1) visiting the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats (3-0) at 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network+).

For Louisville, who lost a hard-fought opener to No. 5 UCLA in Paris but otherwise has cruised to two wins, a victory could stake their claim as one of the country’s overlooked contenders. For Kentucky, the in-state matchup will be the first test of the Kenny Brooks era, where a win would not only confirm that the Wildcats have fully rebounded from their recent nadir but also are ready to tussle with, and even take down, the nation’s best teams. Here are the players to watch when the Cardinals and Wildcats meet:

Freshman Tajianna Roberts is the real deal for Louisville

Guard Tajianna Roberts was not the highest-ranked recruit in Louisville’s highly-regard freshman class, albeit coming in at No. 24 in the final ESPN HoopGurlz ranking is not too shabby. Yet, she’s not only been the Cardinals’ best freshman, she’s been the team’s best player.

Roberts quickly has earned head coach Jeff Walz’s trust, playing a team-high 36 minutes and scoring a team-leading 21 points against UCLA in Paris. Since then, she’s turned in a pair of efficient games against overmatched opponents, earning ACC Freshman of the Week honors. For the season, Roberts is shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent for 3. Those marks might be unsustainable, especially the behind-the-arc number. Yet, the confidence Roberts already has accrued in her short collegiate career is a valuable resource. And at 5-foot-10, she should be able to continue to find offensive success when matched up against Kentucky’s undersized guards on Saturday.

Roberts isn’t the only newcomer making an impact for Louisville. Senior guard Ja’Leah Williams, who spent the first three seasons of her college career at Miami, has emerged as a capable steward of the Cardinals’ attack, averaging a career-high 4.7 assists per game. On the other end, she’s also making plays, leading Louisville with 2.7 steals per game. On Saturday, expect her primary responsibility to be disrupting Kentucky grad guard Georgia Amoore.

Will the Clara Towers overwhelm for the Wildcats?

Recently, Josh Felton wrote about Kentucky’s Clara Strack, a 6-foot-5 sophomore center, and Clara Silva, a 6-foot-7 freshman center, coining the pair the “Clara Towers.” Since the opener, their size has continued be determinative for the Wildcats. Strack leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double of 17.7 points and 11.3 rebounds. She’s also effectively operating as an offensive hub, dishing five assists per game. Silva, the SEC Freshman of the Week, is posting 12 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, along with 4.7 blocks per game, which ranks second in the SEC and fifth in the nation.

That tandem has the potential to overwhelm a team as talented as Louisville, as the guard- and wing-heavy Cardinals do not have the reliable size necessary to deter, or not be deterred by, the Claras. Graduate forward Olivia Cochran, who stands at 6-foot-3, is tallest high-minute player in Louisville’s rotation. As a result, Walz may have to entrust more time to the less-experienced Elif Istanbulluoglu, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward, or Isla Juffermans, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward.

In addition to their interior edge, Kentucky sports an experienced backcourt helmed by Amoore, who leads the SEC with 8.3 assists per game, and complemented by grad guard Dazia Lawerence, who has maintained the scoring effectiveness she demonstrated during four seasons at Charlotte. That balance could help Kentucky capture the win over their in-state rival.