The two best players in the history of the University of Louisville women’s basketball program will have a homecoming of sorts Saturday night.
Angel McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel, the Nos. 1 and 2 scorers all-time in Cardinals hoops history, will take part in an exhibition game with their WNBA team, the Atlanta Dream, at the KFC Yum! Center.
The doubleheader will begin with the Indiana Fever playing the Connecticut Sun at 5 p.m. while the Dream will take on the Washington Mystics in the second game, which will tip off around 7 p.m.
Both McCoughtry and Schimmel, who led the Cardinals to runner-up finishes in the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2013, respectively, have enjoyed success in Atlanta.
McCoughtry was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors that season. Since then she’s garnered All-WNBA honors four times, making the first team in 2011 and the second team in 2010, 2013 and 2014. Last year McCoughtry finished fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game, while also averaging 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Schimmel, meanwhile, is coming off a fine rookie season. After being chosen eighth overall in the WNBA Draft she averaged 8.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game for the Dream. The highlight of Schimmel’s season came at the WNBA All-Star Game. After being voted a starter, thanks to her huge Native American following, she scored 29 points - including 24 after halftime - and had eight assists in leading the Eastern Conference to a 125-124 overtime victory
The Dream, which officially opens its eighth season June 5 against the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past six seasons and has won conference titles in 2010, ‘11 and ‘13.
Last season the Dream finished with the best record (19-15) in the Eastern Conference, but was upset by the playoffs by the Chicago Sky. Chicago knocked off Atlanta 2-1 in the conference semifinals.
Tickets, which range between $14 and $100, for the exhibition games can be purchased at the KFC Yum! Center box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. They’re also available online at atlantadream.net, kfcyumcenter.com and ticketmaster.com or by can be purchased over the phone by calling 800-745-3000.
Photo courtesy Atlanta Dream Facebook Page
