Amiya Jenkins earns minutes among competitive freshmen class

With six freshmen on the Kentucky women’s basketball roster, rookie minutes are scarce. Nonetheless, Amiya Jenkins is finding a surplus of playing time early.

In Kentucky’s 82-78 win over the Radford Highlanders on Monday night, Jenkins made a memorable impression. In the season opener, the 5-foot-10 native of KY scored four points in just eight minutes. While these numbers aren’t jaw-dropping, Jenkins’ potential sure is.

Kyra Elzy on her fantastic freshman

Head coach Kyra Elzy discussed her standout freshman after the victory.

“She gave us a spark offensively early; came in, hit some big shots,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “She’s aggressive defensively. She can give Jada (Walker) a break by picking the ball up which is good. She can also rebound.”

#CommitToIt 🏀 pic.twitter.com/MWgaxukOAK

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) November 8, 2022

By Elzy’s description, there’s little Jenkins can’t do. In fairness, she’s not entirely wrong. In her senior season at Anderson County, Jenkins averaged 20.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game. Her versatility was immediately evident against the Highlanders.

Amiya Jenkins serves as a spark plug

Elzy subbed the Kentucky native into the game with Kentucky down 25-23 in the second quarter. In less than 20 seconds, Jenkins left her defender in the dust for an easy left-handed layup. 45 seconds later Jenkins vaporized her opponent’s shot only to score a jumper on the other. Not a bad minute and a half for the freshman.

Elzy wasn’t the only one to notice Jenkins’ obvious talent. After the battle, sophomore star Jada Walker gave the young ‘Cat props.

“She’s very aggressive. She can get a bucket if need be; reminds me of myself,” Walker said. “Then, on defense, the fact that she can pick up as well — it’s a blessing.”

The love wasn’t exclusively between the underclassmen. Fifth-year senior Robyn Benton discussed Jenkins’ impact, as well.

#GameOn! pic.twitter.com/fzSfDtHWWu

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) November 8, 2022

“She was a good spark plug for us,” Benton said after the win. “She shows it in practice. We know that she can score and defend. It was good for her to have a good first game.”

A work in progress

Jenkins didn’t simply get the most freshmen minutes. She got the only freshmen minutes. The 2022 Miss Kentucky Basketball likely earned her coach’s trust in the Blue-White Game when she recorded 10 points and four rebounds against Kentucky’s starting lineup.

Despite Jenkins’ early success, Elzy still knows she has a long way to go.

“The thing about the freshmen is they’re all talented. But, there’s no experience until you have some and we have to let them play,” Elzy said. “It always just going to be a work in progress with all the freshmen but we will get them there when it counts.”