Jayda Curry was 'best player on floor' despite Louisville women's basketball loss to TCU
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Jayda Curry that Jeff Walz had been expecting to see for the past two seasons finally arrived.
It had been building for the Louisville basketball guard for the last 2 ½ months and emerged Sunday. Despite the Cardinals falling to TCU, 85-70, in the NCAA Tournament's second round, Curry capped her college career with a historic 41-point performance. It’s 11 points more than her previous career high, set in her freshman season at California.
Curry's 41 points are the most scored by any Cardinals player in an NCAA Tournament game, dethroning Angel McCoughtry’s 34-point performance in a 78-74 Sweet 16 loss to North Carolina in 2008. Curry’s six 3-pointers were one shy of tying Antonita Slaughter’s seven in Louisville’s 2013 Sweet 16 upset of Baylor.
“I was trying to do everything I could to help my team win,” Curry said. “We fell short, which sucks. So, I mean, for me, the end goal wasn't what we wanted. So it's hard to think about that.”
Like Slaughter 12 years ago, Curry had an upset on her mind with seventh-seeded Louisville looking to deal second-seeded TCU its first home loss of the season. Had the Cardinals hit more shots in the second quarter — they only made three — they likely would’ve accomplished the feat for Curry’s first trip to the Sweet 16. Curry went quiet in the second quarter then notched 24 points in the second half. Sunday was only her third NCAA Tournament game after missing the postseason in her first two seasons at California. Her first tournament appearance with Louisville ended with a first-round loss last year.
One wouldn’t have known: Curry’s swagger was undeniable as she carved TCU’s defense, shooting 46.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc thanks to on-ball screens from her teammates and a hot hand.
“Her hand was more than hot,” said Merissah Russell, who has affectionately nicknamed Curry "Little Menace." "I'm really, really proud of her. Anybody could attest to her work ethic. She's very, very good and always puts the time in the gym. ... I would hope nobody in this program, on this team, is surprised by that performance.”
The Jayda Curry who stepped on the floor at Schollmaier Arena is a vastly different player than the one who started the season, let alone arrived at Louisville in 2023.
A transformative summer helped build confidence heading into her senior season. She came off the bench to start the season then moved into the starting lineup at the end of December. There was still another level to her game, and a midseason conversation with Walz gave her even more motivation to unleash the sharpshooter that was always there.
“You've got to be more aggressive,” Walz recalled telling Curry. “You’ve got to stop playing passive. You’ve got to try to take things over, and that doesn't always mean by scoring. That's making plays. She's done that, and she was fantastic.”
In her final five games, Curry averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Against TCU, she also had five assists, four rebounds and three steals, one of which she took the other way for a layup for the game's first points. Curry leaves Louisville with 1,594 career points, which ranks 11th all time. A loss made it hard for Curry to think about the magnitude of her historic performance and college career. But Sunday night will be a game that Louisville fans — and those at Schollmaier Arena — won’t easily forget.
“She was the best player on the floor,” Walz said. “Was she not? She had an unbelievable game. ... (TCU) couldn't stop her. It didn't matter what they did, and we executed extremely well, some things. I was proud of her. Really, really happy.”
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball: Jayda Curry ends career with best game
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