The University of Louisville women’s basketball team has seven returning players, but has added six newcomers.

U of L coach Jeff Walz believes his team has a chance to be special, and it will start earlier than normal. Walz confirmed on Monday, the first day the entire team was together for a summer workout, that the Cardinals will go on a summer trip in July.

The Cardinals will take a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which means the team gets 10 days of practice to prepare for the trip.

“It’s going to be a lot of the team, having 10 days of full practice,” Walz said. “That’s what I am really excited about. We are going to be able to do some scrimmaging here and really put a lot more stuff in than we normally would with just eight hours a week that we are allowed now.

“And then we will be able to be together for about eight or 10 days and do a lot of team activities to try and get to know each other a lot better.

“It will make it easier when we return in August.”

NEW STAFF MEMBERS: There are a bunch of new staff members on Walz’s squad, and still a spot open.

Walz announced back in April the addition of former Boston College head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee and former Morehead State and New Mexico head coach Mike Bradbury to his staff as replacements for Shay Robinson and Amanda Butler.

“Some coaches who have been head coaches in the past, who have won a lot of games,” Walz said.

But he also has other additions.

Gina Cerezuela Robuste had been on the USF staff for three seasons as the assistant coach/director of global recruiting. Her title has not been announced but Walz said she would help the program with international recruiting.

Selim Aldag was a graduate assistant last season, and Walz said he will replace Lamont Russell, who is now the director of player development for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA, as the program’s director of analytics.

Assistant coach Brittney Morris left for NC State earlier this week after one season at U of L. Walz will make a hire for that position.

NO GENERAL MANAGER FOR WOMEN’S HOOPS: A lot of programs, including some on the women’s basketball side of things, are restructuring coaching staffs and hiring a general manager to help with roster construction during the new era of college hoops.

But that’s not going to be U of L women’s hoops.

“That’s me,” Walz said when asked. “I am the GM and the head coach.”

Walz explained a little about his position and asked, “What does a GM do?”

“That’s my question,” he said. “We now have rev share and NIL, it’s my responsibility. I have a budget in front of me. It’s my job to decide and figure out – with the administration’s blessing – what player is going to be where.

“A GM is just another name for the first person we can blame when something doesn’t work well. How many more people do you need to have?

“For us, this (model) works great how it is, and we are going to stick with that.”

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE COMING: Walz said the non-conference schedule for next season would be coming out in the next week or so.

The Cardinals will play at Texas on Dec. 2 in the ACC/SEC Challenge and will play at Kentucky on Dec. 9.

The only other non-conference game is an early-season home game against UConn.

The ACC has released the complete league schedule in late August or early September in recent years.