Kentucky WBB looks for late-season win vs. Texas A&M

With two games left, Kentucky women’s basketball is competing for confidence in the postseason.

On Thursday, the Wildcats (10-16, 2-12 SEC) will square off against the Texas A&M (6-18, 1-13 SEC) Aggies at 7 p.m. inside Reed Arena. Kentucky has lost five-straight contests, most recently falling 74-52 to an underwhelming Vanderbilt squad. Losses are just one of the Wildcats’ issues.

Injuries and illness have plagued Kentucky lately. Maddie Scherr has missed UK’s last two contests due to illness, Nyah Leveretter tore her ACL against Vanderbilt and Ajae Petty is day to day with an ankle injury. It’s tough to compete when you’re without your top competitors. Nonetheless, UK head coach Kyra Elzy refuses to make excuses.

“We didn’t win. There’s no excuse to it,” Elzy said following UK’s loss at Vanderbilt. “Whether we have five people, six people, or a full roster, the expectation is to win.”

Junior forward @nyahlev02 sustained a torn ACL in her right knee during the Kentucky-Vanderbilt game in Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Feb. 19.

She will miss the remainder of the season, it was announced by head coach Kyra Elzy.https://t.co/OX7YlIpqml

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 20, 2023

Luckily for the Cats, their upcoming opponent knows less about winning than they do.

Talkin’ about Texas A&M

It’s been a painful season for the Aggies. With just one SEC win, Texas A&M sits in last place in the conference standings. In fairness, the team A&M beat was Georgia; the same Georgia squad Kentucky scored a mere 40 points against earlier this month.

A losing record isn’t the only thing Kentucky has in common with the Aggies. In November, Texas A&M leading scorer Janiah Barker broke her wrist. Not to be outdone, Texas A&M’s other top dog, Sahara Jones, has suffered unpredictable back issues this season, as well.

Wear maroon and be loud ‼️

Tomorrow is our home finale and we need you there to help us #BTHOkentucky 👍#GigEm | #Becominghttps://t.co/jMzDJqlwrk

— Texas A&M Women's Basketball (@AggieWBB) February 22, 2023

Despite wrist troubles, Barker has had a fantastic debut season. The star forward averages 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8% from beyond the arc. Barker dropped a career-high 24 points in Texas A&M’s lone triumph this season.

While Barker is the only Aggie to regularly score double figures, Jones is also a pivotal piece. The 6-foot junior contributes 8.6 points and 5.1 boards per outing to the Aggies’ effort. Despite Barker and Jones’ solid rebounding statistics, neither leads the team in rebounds.

That honor belongs to Aaliyah Patty. The 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior snags 7.3 rebounds a night while adding 1.1 blocks per game. The Aggies’ height can’t save their offense. The team scores just 54 points per contest, ranking 342nd in the country.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

Of course, Texas A&M isn’t the only team struggling with its offense. Kentucky has shot below 40% in its past five contests, hasn’t hit five threes in a game in nearly two weeks and, to top it off, has committed 21 turnovers in back-to-back games.

The ‘Cats are in a dark place, but Elzy won’t stop clawing until she finds some light.

“We’ll continue to evaluate. Go back to work and find a way to really, but there’s never an excuse.”

In the face of Kentucky’s ice-cold offense, Elzy believes her squad’s most significant issue is defense.

“We let our offense affect our defense. They were getting some really easy scoring opportunities,” Elzy said following UK’s loss to Vanderbilt. “Things that we had not been doing for a while.”

Keep on keeping on. 💙 pic.twitter.com/QOz0aydedI

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 20, 2023

The Wildcats’ defensive downturn could spiral with the loss of Leveretter, especially against a frontcourt-dominant team like Texas A&M. The Aggies have five players that stand at 6-foot-3 or taller. Kentucky has one.

Although Kentucky forward Adebola Adeyeye has stepped up her game lately, recording 13 points and nine rebounds versus Vanderbilt, expect Elzy to experiment. Whether it’s a five-guard lineup or a wacky defense, Kentucky must find a way to compete with height.

When asked about a small-ball lineup earlier this season, Elzy wasn’t opposed to the idea.

“We talk about it,” Elzy said after Kentucky’s loss to Auburn. “It is great on offense with a five-guard lineup. On the flip side, if they have two bigs, that’s not necessarily a great matchup on the other end.”

Great matchup or not, Elzy may not have a choice to try out something new. Kentucky will face off against the Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.