How Jada Walker is making uncommon improvements to her game

A freshman rarely enters the collegiate scene as a good player, but Jada Walker did. A sophomore is almost never a great player, but Jada Walker is proving to be one.

In Kentucky’s 82-56 win over the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Sunday afternoon, Walker left fans with a performance to remember. The 5-foot-7 guard dropped 20 points and four assists while shooting 7-9 from the field and 1-2 from beyond the arc. The stunning performance is just another highlight in Walker’s young, but already illustrious career.

Jada Walker can’t be stopped

Head coach Kyra Elzy discussed her star point guard’s game after Kentucky’s win on Sunday.

“She set the tone for us offensively and defensively, you know, asked her to play downhill and she started the game that way,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference.

Walker’s performance is even more impressive when you realize she played through illness.

“I was teasing her, she’s been under the weather, and I said, ‘Well, maybe you can stay sick a little bit longer if you can’t breathe and can score 20 and play defense like that.’ But, you know, she’s just tough,” Elzy said.

Constantly improving

Standout performances are nothing new for Walker. The Virginia native averaged 10.4 points per game in her rookie season, connecting on 41.4% of her shots from the field and 35.5% of her 3-point attempts. Her impressive debut campaign earned her a spot on the All-SEC Freshmen Team.

As excellent as her freshman year was, Walker’s sophomore season has been far superior. After the win on Sunday, Walker is up to 14.9 points per game. Although the 4.5-point increase is nice, Walker’s efficiency is what has really changed.

Walker is shooting a wild 56.7% from the field and 43.8% from downtown this season. Moreover, Walker is connecting on six percent more of her free-throw attempts than last year. After the game, KSR asked the stud sophomore what’s been different for her this season.

“Probably just my pace and then my shot selections that I’ve been taking in game are smarter, like, when to shoot and when not to shoot,” Walker said during the postgame press conference.

Jada Walker’s mental game

While Elzy agreed with her starting point guard’s sentiments, she put an even further emphasis on Walker’s mental development.

“[Walker] can go down the floor, call the plays, understands what we’re looking for offensively and has confidence without looking back at me that she can get them in an offense. That’s where she’s improved this year,” Elzy said.

Walker will need all this confidence and then some for the upcoming week. On Wednesday, the ‘Cats travel north to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 8:00 p.m. EST on the Big Ten Plus. Only four days later, Kentucky will face arch-rival, No. 18 Louisville, inside Rupp Arena. This week will not only be a pivotal period for Walker, but for the team as a whole.