Kentucky WBB found its best player without her on the floor

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On3 image — Photo by Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

I have a New Year’s resolution for Kentucky Women’s Basketball: never let Robyn Benton miss a game again.

Benton did not appear in Kentucky’s 71-50 loss to Arkansas on Sunday due to a finger dislocation sustained on Dec. 29 against Missouri. Her absence was painfully obvious. Kentucky was lost on offense, shooting 17-65 (26%) from the field and 2-14 (14%) from beyond the arc. As a cherry on top, the team committed 23 turnovers without one of their steadiest ball handlers.

Kyra Elzy on Robyn Benton

Head coach Kyra Elzy discussed her team’s disappointing performance after the game.

“Obviously, what we’re doing is not working,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “The goal is to win and we got to find a way to do that.”

Benton seems like the way. Despite hot-handed shooting and tenacious blocks, Benton’s talent has never been more apparent than Sunday afternoon. The 5-foot-9 guard’s team-high 16.5 points per game were desperately missed. Benton is yet to score fewer than 10 points in a contest this season.

What’s wild is Benton’s game isn’t very efficient. The former Auburn transfer is shooting 41.2% from the field and 28.4% from 3-point range this season. Yet, compared to her teammates, Benton is as dependable as the sunrise.

Robyn's scoring in the last six straight games:

18
20
15
18
22
22

She's just ✨3✨ points away from joining the 1K club. pic.twitter.com/9yVlynzHaK
— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) December 31, 2022

How her absence affects the team

Of course, Benton’s absence is not solely responsible for the 21-point loss on Sunday, but it certainly was a key factor.

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“Definitely missed her on the floor. She is our leading scorer and veteran guard on the floor,” Elzy said following the loss. “You have to be ready when your number’s called. I didn’t need any of them to be Robyn Benton but, collectively, we had enough to get the job done.”

Elzy isn’t the only one who knows Benton’s value. After the game, Benton’s fellow ‘Cats discussed the graduate student’s importance.

“Robyn really steps up and she brings that offensive energy and scoring. She’s been scoring 20 points,” Blair Green said during the postgame press conference. “We just need more people to step up.”

It’s not going to get any easier for the ‘Cats. On Thursday, Kentucky will travel south to face off against the Georgia Bulldogs (11-4). The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.