Top-seeded Stanford takes on No. 2 Louisville tonight

Tara VanDerveer rooted for Oregon to reach the Elite Eight — supporting the Pac-12 after all.

Her Stanford Cardinal instead will face the Louisville Cardinals, who used a late surge to defeat the Ducks. The overall top-seeded Cardinal (28-2) will face No. 2 seed Louisville (26-3) on Tuesday night for a place in the Final Four.

Yes, it's Cardinal vs. Cardinals. And both teams are determined to return to the Final Four and take care of unfinished business.

Louisville eliminated Stanford in the 2018 Sweet Sixteen with an 8659 victory before going on to lose in the national semifinals to Mississippi State. Then, a year later, the Cardinals fell to Connecticut in the Elite Eight.

It's been a long time between Stanford titles under VanDerveer. It has been since 1992.

“They're a really good team, they're coached by a really good coach, so we've just got to prepare and we've got to focus like we've been doing in the past,” Louisville senior guard Dana Evans said.

Louisville coach Jeff Walz praised his guard play and the way the Cardinals attacked the ball to beat Oregon, noting, “Our ball pressure had to be elite, and it was.”

They will have to do it again given Stanford's multiple perimeter threats.

“Our team just really enjoys playing with each other, and they're great teammates for each other, which is really special,” VanDerveer said. “... I think part of the reason that we play well is that they want to keep playing with each other. We want to stay for another week.”

Stanford's 3-point shooting has been dominant through three games — 15, 13 and 15 — and the Cardinal are shooting 48% from long range (43 of 90).

“Tara always talks about this: She didn't recruit any of us for our defense,” said fifth-year senior Anna Wilson, cheered all tournament by big brother and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Finding a way to somehow slow down the perimeter threats will be paramount.

Louisville limited Oregon to 14 points in the first half of Sunday's 60-42 Elite Eight win.

“I think we are playing our best defense right now, I think it's starting to come together,” Evans said. "We're able to help each other, get in the passing lanes, pressure the ball. We know at this time of year you can't make many mistakes.”