On rewatching the game, I saw one good reason for Geno to take her out of the game. Immediately after Lou’s second 3-point attempt behind Walker’s screen, Louisville missed a shot. Sam Feurling (#3 of Louisville) was in the paint next to Megan Walker, initially behind Megan. But she moved quickly to her left, got the rebound and a putback for 2 points. Megan failed to keep Feurling on her back, making no real attempt to box her out.
I think that was all Geno needed to see. Players in her situation don’t get second chances in big games, as Kiah Stokes could have told her. (Remember when Kiah failed to dive on a loose ball early in the first South Carolina game, and never saw the floor again until the game was decided?). And with good reason: If she had stayed in the game, Feurling and Jeff Walz would have known that she was not an alert defender, and would surely have taken advantage of that fact.