3 big questions going into the Kentucky WBB Blue-White Game

Kentucky Women’s Basketball is back, and the Wildcats’ first opponents are each other.

On Saturday, Kentucky WBB will host its fan day and Blue-White scrimmage inside Memorial Coliseum at 11 a.m. The program invites Big Blue Nation to watch the scrimmage, ask the team questions, and get autographs afterward.

Despite the exciting extracurriculars, we’ll have our eyes on the scrimmage and our first look at this year’s team. Here are some of our biggest questions heading into the sneak peek.

Who will be the team leader?

Over 70% of Kentucky’s scoring from last season vanished into thin air over the summer. The only returning Wildcat who averaged double figures is sophomore PG Jada Walker. However, she isn’t a lock to be Kentucky’s star player.

Newcomers such as Maddie Scherr (Oregon) and Eniya Russell (South Carolina) are equally likely to lead the charge. Head coach Kyra Elzy seemingly still doesn’t know which players will secure a spot in the rotation.

“I’ve been very transparent with [the team]. I’m probably going to have a 10-player rotation. You can play your way in, or you can play your way out,” Elzy said at SEC Media Day. “They have really bought into that mentality.”

Since the Blue-White Game is the players’ first chance to show Elzy what they’re capable of in front of a crowd, expect a competitive environment. After all, the standouts in Friday’s scrimmage might be the starters on Nov. 2.

Is Kentucky WBB playing with speed?

If there’s been one promise this offseason, it’s that these ‘Cats will play hard. In the past month, we’ve heard it all. Rookie G Kennedy Cambridge divulged Elzy wouldn’t let her back into practice without wearing kneepads. 5th year senior G Robyn Benton declared she nearly threw her teammate into a treadmill just to win a sprint. And Maddie Scherr is losing track of how many charges freshman Cassidy Rowe has taken at practice.

As exciting as these rumors are, talk is cheap. Without performance, practice is useless. Thankfully for BBN, fifth-year senior Blair Green is confident her squad will meet expectations.

“We’re going to be getting up and down. We have a lot of fast guards and some posts that can really move,” Green said during Media Day. “We’ll definitely have that Kentucky defense where we’re up just full court. Forty minutes of just dread from us.”

As dreadful as the Wildcats may be for opponents, their up-tempo playstyle will delight BBN. Now, the only question is will we see it?

Who will be the primary post presence?

With both of last season’s starting forwards gone, the paint is up for grabs. Fortunately, Kentucky has plenty of candidates for the job. Junior F Nyah Leveretter is the first and most obvious pick. The 6-foot-3 pogo stick received starting minutes last season and made significant strides at the end of the year.

Yet, there are other enticing options. Specifically, transfers Ajae Petty (LSU) and Adebola Adeyeye (Buffalo) both bring intriguing skill sets to the table. Elzy believes Adeyeye, in particular, will turn some heads this season.

“Her competitive spirit, her ability to play with an intensity on both sides of the ball — she talks non-stop,” Elzy said earlier this month. “She brings a leadership to us. She’s not afraid to say the tough things.”

Nonetheless, even Adeyeye isn’t a lock for the starting lineup. Lengthy freshman F Zennia Thomas is one of the program’s most promising players. Thomas wasn’t even on Kentucky’s radar until her senior high school season when she blossomed into a superstar. Perhaps Elzy is willing to see how far she can take the 6-foot-2 forward’s potential.

No matter who takes the floor for the ‘Cats, we’re just excited to see them on the hardwood again. The at Memorial Coliseum doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.