Kentucky WBB finding team chemistry in unusual places

Finding team chemistry? Difficult. Finding team chemistry on a squad with 10 new players? Nearly impossible. However, the Kentucky women’s basketball team is doing just that.

A natural connection

Kyra Elzy and Co. have had a wild offseason. After losing over 70% of their scoring from last year’s roster, UK brought in six freshmen and four transfers for the upcoming season. Despite being strangers, the Wildcats bonded so fast that even the players were surprised.

“That’s actually something that I’ve noticed pretty quickly,” Oregon transfer Maddie Scherr said in an interview with KSR. “With a huge group of girls, you’re often to run into some drama sometimes but I think with this group of girls, they’re all really great girls. To be honest, everybody gets along.”

Scherr isn’t the only one who noticed the team’s natural connection. Sophomore Jada Walker, one of the five players returning from last season, discussed why this team meshes so well.

“We have a lot of different types of personalities. There’s a lot of outgoing type of people on this team at a young age,” Walker said. “We’re really meshing and getting to know each other.”

Kentucky thinks out of the box(ing)

Kentucky’s unusual outcome is the result of unusual methods. The ‘Cats aren’t simply hanging out at Wildcat Lodge or shooting hoops at the Joe Craft Center, they’re collectively going out of their comfort zone. More specifically, the team is learning how to fight through this discomfort.

Coaches tell us to box out so much we had to go give the real thing a try 😅🥊#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/dR6Kv4pWYx

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) June 29, 2022

On June 29, the ‘Cats visited HITS Fitness, a local boxing club. After a quick warmup, the team completed an hour-long boxing workout. It’s safe to say it wasn’t a walk in the park.

“I liked it but it was a lot. Boxing is harder than I thought,” Walker said. “Punching the punching bag for 30 minutes straight is very tiring.”

Intensity.#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/dRrMpLyvTn

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) June 30, 2022

This instance wasn’t the first time the ‘Cats found a connection in an unexpected place. Last summer, the staff and team completed training at Fort Campbell. However, experiencing Fort Campbell once was more than enough, Walker said.

Although none of the ‘Cats left the boxing gym throwing jabs like Muhammad Ali, Scherr did notice a change.

“It’s a great way to build that team bonding. When you’re struggling with your teammates, that really bonds you in ways. I think it’s a good way to grow closer as a team and build that chemistry.”

Chemistry isn’t easy. Perhaps the best way to find it is to not search for easy solutions. The Kentucky women’s basketball team surely isn’t.