What Does Kyra Elzy Need to Complete Her Roster?

Kentucky Women’s Basketball head coach Kyra Elzy could be looking for some new talent.

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, the team announced on social media that they would be holding an open tryout available to all full-time female University of Kentucky students taking place on Sept. 20, less than a week before the team’s first open practice.

Open tryouts are not uncommon for Kentucky women’s sports. Both the women’s soccer and STUNT programs have announced open tryouts for their teams. If anything, it could be a way for Elzy to deepen her bench.

Open tryouts.⛹️‍♀️🏀🗒️✏️

All the details are below: pic.twitter.com/Mjci2E0c9v

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) September 13, 2023

As it stands, there are only 12 players on Kyra Elzy’s roster, and only 11 of them are healthy. Senior forward Nyah Leveretter is expected to sit out a good portion of the season due to a knee injury she suffered during the 2022-23 season.

The open tryout happens every year, so it’s nothing to be worried about. However, Elzy could be looking for hidden talent to replace pieces she lost in the offseason.

Out of three transfers and three graduates, five of those six players were Elzy’s go-to’s last season. Now, the only known consistency on her roster are seniors: guard Maddie Scherr and forward Ajae Petty.

With the loss of six players and the addition of three (two freshmen and a transfer), Elzy is looking at almost a completely new roster.

Out of the two freshmen, forward Janae Walker shows the most promise. Averaging 20.3 points and 14.6 rebounds per game in high school, the post player could lock down a starting spot.

Senior guard Eniya Russell might find herself as the sidekick to Scherr and forward Amiya Jenkins is the most versatile of Elzy’s bunch.

So what else does the head coach need?

With only 11 healthy players, finding extra bodies that showcase promising talent would be helpful for both practice and non-conference games.

Elzy could be looking for another shooter. With the exception of Scherr, the veteran guards haven’t yet proven themselves as consistent or are too inexperienced. She could also be searching for size. Most of the guards are 5-foot-10 and below, and when put up against 6-foot-4 SEC forwards in the paint, they may struggle to put up points for the ‘Cats.

After a disappointing 12-19 (2-14 SEC) season last year, Elzy might be looking for all the help she can get. The addition of a few new faces certainly won’t hurt the Wildcats and could be exactly what Elzy needs to complete her roster for the 2023-24 season.