Kentucky WBB fans will see familiar face in Eniya Russell suit up for Mississippi State

Kentucky didn’t have a ton of great pieces on its team last year, especially considering the 12-win season that they put together, but Eniya Russell was an exception to that.

The 6-foot guard averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, but more importantly, she came up clutch when Kyra Elzy desperately needed a scorer down the stretch. She hit the game-winning layup against Boston College in the SEC/ACC Challenge last year, and she had another big game in Kentucky’s road win over Mississippi State as well.

Against the Bulldogs, Russell put up 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead Kentucky to a 78-68 victory. That would be Kentucky’s first and only road win of the season, but to Russell, it turned out to be a bit more than that. It ended up being an in-person showcase for Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell, who would land her in the transfer portal this past offseason.

Russell is one of the best players for the Bulldogs, putting up 13.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as well as a team-best 4.4 assists per game.

She plays a pivotal role in what Mississippi State does, and that has led to success for Purcell’s program. The Bulldogs sit at 13-1 on the year, with their only loss being a three-point loss to an undefeated Georgia Tech team on the road.

Hopefully, the Cats can put something together to slow Russell and Mississippi State down come Thursday night.