Kyra Elzy says Ajae Petty got frustrated against Arkansas, teammates need to help her "grow up"

In Kentucky’s 88-61 loss to Arkansas on Thursday night, things went from bad, to ugly, to even worse in a hurry. That was no exception for Ajae Petty either, who Kyra Elzy and company have leaned on time and time again so many times this season.

Despite playing a team-high 29 minutes against the Razorbacks, Petty would only muster six points on 3-8 (38%) shooting on the night. While she did amass 16 rebounds, marking her fourth game this season with 15+ boards, she was practically a non-factor offensively. Kyra Elzy attributes this effort to Petty becoming frustrated early on in the game. The UK coach also mentioned that Kentucky is “gonna have to help her grow up” in the postgame presser.

“Well, she had 16 rebounds, six points, but I thought she got frustrated early,” Elzy said. “Then, this is where we’re gonna have to help her grow up. You still have to work, even if they double-team you. You kick it out, repost. I thought there were some spots that she could still duck in and work on the post. We gotta hit her.”

Evidently, it just wasn’t Petty’s night. Could this be a sign that teams are beginning to figure out how to limit her offensively? Well, maybe. Regardless, it’s time to go back to the drawing board for the senior forward. Luckily for Petty, she’s already accomplished a lot of things this year that she can build off of.

Back to the drawing board and taking a look in the mirror

“She’s proven what she can do this year,” Elzy mentioned. “Have to have more movement from her. She’ll go back and watch the film, that’s what I always count on Ajae [to do]. She’ll watch the film, probably on the way home, make adjustments. She’s coachable after she sees it. She’ll be ready for the next game.”

It’s no doubt that times have been difficult for Petty as of late, especially with the ball in her hands. For someone who is accustomed to scoring over 15 points per game, it gets tough when you go through a bit of a cold spell. Petty has scored in single digits in two of her last three outings, and Coach Elzy knows she’s better than that.

For Petty to get back on track and reach her full potential on this Kentucky team, she’ll need to revamp her game while getting herself in the right space mentally.