PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB motivated to break losing streak against Louisville
Seven years is a long time. In 2015, Apple released the iPhone 6s, Tom Brady won a Super Bowl and Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao clashed in the ring. In 2015, Kentucky women’s basketball also beat Louisville. UK hasn’t defeated the Cardinals since.
On Sunday, Kentucky will get their chance for revenge as they take on Louisville at 1 p.m. in Rupp Arena on ESPN. The contest is UK’s first in Rupp Arena this season. The ‘Cats enter the game on a three-game win streak, most recently securing their first true road win this year against Minnesota.
Head coach Kyra Elzy believes her team is ready for an even bigger challenge.
“They’re excited about it. They grew up in the state of Kentucky. It’s a big game,” Elzy said during a press conference on Dec. 9. “It’s a pride; them understanding what’s at stake and what it means to represent the state of Kentucky.”
Unfortunately for the ‘Cats, they’re not the only ones who want to hold bragging rights to the Bluegrass.
Let’s learn about Louisville
While the Cardinals have dominated Kentucky in recent years, they haven’t been dominant this season. Louisville is 6-4 this season with losses to prestigious programs such as Ohio State and Gonzaga. It’s necessary to note that not all of Louisville’s losses are so respectable.
The Cardinals fell to South Dakota State by 10 points on Nov. 21. Not even two weeks later, Louisville lost by a jaw-dropping 18 points to Middle Tennessee. Consequently, the Cardinals fell out of the AP Top 25; an unusual situation for head coach Jeff Walz.
This season is Walz’s 16th as Louisville’s head coach. He is the program’s all-time winningest coach and an ACC Coach of the Year. Walz is as good of a recruiter as he is a coach. One of Walz’s top talents while at Louisville is Hailey Van Lith.
Van Lith is a superstar, averaging 20 points, 5.9 rebounds and three assists per game. The 2021-2022 All-ACC First Team member has the green light, attempting 17.1 field-goal attempts a night; twice as many as the next most on the team.
This next player in line is Chryslin Carr. The graduate transfer from Syracuse is providing 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. Carr is a sharpshooter, knocking down 48.1% of her attempts from deep.
Morgan Jones is the only other Cardinal regularly scoring double figures. Standing at 6-foot-2, Jones anchors the paint for Louisville. The Florida State transfer averages 10.4 points per game while leading the team in blocks.
Louisville is a multi-faceted threat, and Elzy knows it.
“Their ability to score inside and out. Obviously, Hailey what she can do on the perimeter — (Olivia) Cochran on the inside,” Elzy said. “They’re very skilled offensively.”
Keys for Kentucky WBB
As skilled as Louisville’s offense is, Kentucky’s defense is a problem for any team. The ‘Cats are forcing 25 turnovers per outing, and consistently force more opponent mistakes than expected. Elzy believes her team’s identity is within their defense.
“Our identity lies on the defensive side of the basketball. We’re leading the conference in forced turnovers. Our ability to change up our defense, push the ball in transition,” Elzy said on Friday.
Louisville is averaging 15.8 turnovers per game. Kentucky needs to squeeze at least 20 out of the Cardinals. The ‘Cats are certainly capable. UK forced No. 7 Virginia Tech to commit 20 turnovers in their battle on Nov. 21. For reference, the Hokies are only averaging 13 turnovers per game this season.
The defensive end of the court isn’t the only place UK must improve. The ‘Cats have struggled from range this season, connecting on a poor 25% from beyond the arc. Nonetheless, Elzy is hoping a change of scenery will help these ‘Cats find their groove.
“We will practice in [Rupp Arena] before Sunday,” Elzy said. “Let’s hope the shooting gods are with us. We’re waiting for these 3s to go down. It’ll be a good start to start on Sunday.”
No matter what Kentucky does externally, it won’t matter if they’re not motivated internally. Thankfully for BBN, that doesn’t seem to be a problem. For Elzy, Walz used to be her AAU coach. What’s better than the student becoming the master?
Players such as Maddie Scherr, Blair Green, Amiya Jenkins, and Cassidy Rowe grew up in Kentucky. They were surrounded by this rivalry. The idea of helping the Wildcats claw up the Cardinals is enough to get them going. Elzy believes her team doesn’t need any extra motivation.
“I don’t think we need to talk to them about being pumped up and motivated to play when you have a group of Kentucky girls on the roster playing Louisville,” Elzy said. “Also, a group that’s maybe not from Kentucky but they have a competitive spirit.”
Watch Kentucky’s competitive spirit firsthand as the ‘Cats take on the Louisville Cardinals at 1 p.m. in Rupp Arena on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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