WATCH: Kentucky women’s basketball upsets South Carolina, wins SEC Tournament
Kentucky women’s basketball won its first SEC Tournament championship since 1982 with an upset win over South Carolina on a late shot from Dre’una Edwards. The 3-point shot gave the Wildcats a 64-62 lead which they held onto in the final seconds before celebrating on the floor.
Second-year Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy drew up a play after a foul in the frontcourt by South Carolina. After inbounding the ball and having Dre’una Edwards set a screen for Jazmine Massengill, they got the ball back to the junior who knocked down the open 3-point shot.
Edwards finished the game with 27 points and nine rebounds, including each of Kentucky’s last seven points of the game. Projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2022 WNBA Draft Rhyne Howard added 18 points, two blocks and two steals.
More on Kentucky’s upset
No. 1 ranked South Carolina entered the game as a heavy favorite with their 29-1 record and with no losses since the turn of the calendar to 2022. However, Kentucky came into the championship game as one of the country’s hottest teams.
The Wildcats got their 10th consecutive win after a stretch where they lost eight of nine games in January and February. The Kentucky women’s basketball win streak was capped off by a four-game run through the SEC Tournament in four days to knock off three ranked opponents and lock up the conference’s automatic bid.
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team remains on track for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament despite the loss but will now be forced to wait and see whether they land the No. 1 overall seed or not. Kentucky, meanwhile, gets the SEC automatic bid despite already appearing to land on the right side of the bracket. It remains to be seen whether this upset win raises their stock significantly for the selection committee.