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For the second straight season Kentucky Women’s Basketball will finish with an under .500 record. The Wildcats are 11-18 with one trip to defending champs LSU and the SEC Women’s Tournament remaining. This is the first time since the 2002-03 and the 2003-04 seasons that Kentucky has finished with back-to-back losing seasons. From 2006 through 2020, the Wildcats finished the season with 20 plus wins in 12 out of 15 seasons.
KENTUCKY HITS THE LATE THREE TO BEAT SOUTH CAROLINA AND WIN THE WOMEN'S SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 😱@KentuckyWBB pic.twitter.com/pOI2k7bsGe
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 6, 2022
Head Coach Kyra Elzy led Kentucky to the schools second ever SEC Tournament championship just two years ago in 2022. Along the way upsetting the mighty South Carolina Gamecocks and Aliyah Boston. That win still remains Dawn Staley’s last lost to a SEC opponent. Taking over for former coach Matthew Mitchell, who had 10 of those plus 20-win season for the Cats has not gone as planned since that victory.
Shooting in the 2023-24 season
The current 2023-24 Wildcats are constructed of mostly guards, as eight of the top 10 available scholarship players are guards. Shooting struggles from the outside have hurt the team all year including in the last home game of the season against Mississippi on Thurs night. Forward/Center Ajae Petty is the only player on the team shooting above 50% for the season from the field. The team is shooting 40.0% overall for the season.
First half game action! #BBN #SEC #WBB @KentuckyWBB pic.twitter.com/N1NzxhbTDh
— Brad Harvey (@BradCSCast) March 1, 2024
Taking a look at shooting percentages in each game, the Cats are a different team when being able to shoot over 40% field goal (FG) for the game. In 29 games this season, Kentucky is 11-5 in games when shooting over 40%. Unfortunately, that means in games when the Cats have shot less than 40% FG for the game, they are 0-13 on the season. Eight of those games have come in the last 14 games in conference action.
The investment + the return. 🙇♀️@AjaePetty15 pic.twitter.com/vjbu9VNrbp
— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 29, 2024
There are other factors as well that is contributing to the Wildcats struggles but being able to put the ball through the hoop has always been vital in the game of basketball. Being undersized and guard heavy is a factor, but so is six of your top ten players shooting 35% (FG) or less for the season. When the Cats have been able to find games where the shots are falling, the size and rebounding have been less of an issue. Keeping them competitive with a winning record.
Heading to the SEC Tournament
As the Wildcats wrap up the season against LSU on Sunday and head to Greenville, South Carolina for the Women’s SEC Tournament, Kyra Elzy hopes she can find some of that SEC tournament magic from the last two seasons. One thing for sure that is going to make a huge difference whether Kentucky can make another great SEC tournament run is if the Cats can make buckets at a higher clip.
Emma King has been named to the @SEC Community Service Team. 🫶@Emma_King34 🥰
— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 29, 2024
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