UK ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
#16 KENTUCKY VS. MERRIMACK
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2021
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
Kentucky Head Coach Kyra Elzy
On cutting turnovers down in the second half compared to the first…
“Well, I thought we were playing careless. We did not take care of the ball, did not have the intensity in which I was looking for, offensively or defensively. That that’s why we had nine turnovers.”
On taking care of the ball in the second half…
“Yes, we did better in the second half. Took care of the ball. We did some good things. But as a coach, you always think about the things that you can go back and learn and grow from. But on the positive, we had 30 assists. Today’s the first time since 2015, that I was informed, so we did share the ball. I challenged the team to have four people in double figures, and we did that. 75% from the free throw line. We’re getting close to our goal of 80%! So, proud that we stepped up. Robyn was seven-for-seven. Then, we finally, seven games in, get to welcome Jazmine Massengill to the double figure scoring club. I was really proud of how aggressive she played offensively.”
On how to coach Massengill to shoot the ball more…
“I love it because Jaz is always trying to get her assists. She’s very cognitive of her assist-turnover-ratio. I teased her, I was like, ‘I want you to have the same approach in hunting shots.’ But we just go back and watch film. These are areas that you could shoot the ball, or you passed up a shot, or in the flow of our offense, where you can look to attack and I thought she hunted shots today, and she’s really efficient when she shoots the ball. She just doesn’t shoot them enough.”
On what she said to her team during the timeout in the second quarter to get back on track…
“Yes, we forced 27 turnovers today. But, one of the things, we were in our black press, we were letting the ball in the middle. So, it left us very vulnerable on the wings. It’s hard to get a rotation in the middle of the floor. So, we adjusted. Get the speed dribble on the sideline, and that that allows help side so we can get our rotation.”
On Rhyne Howard’s accomplishments and if a player like Howard makes the coach’s job easier…
“Well, the accolades continue for Rhyne Howard. Congratulations! She’s an unbelievable player. But, what I love about her, she wants to be coached, she wants us as a staff to hold her accountable, me as her head coach to hold her accountable, and her teammates to hold her accountable. She has goals that she’s looking to achieve. That’s a big honor for her, and good thing she has a lot of time left to reach the rest of her goals while she’s still a Wildcat. But kudos to her teammates. She cannot do this alone. Her supporting cast really allow her to be who she is.”
On outrebounding West Virginia in their last game but being beat on the boards today…
“Yes, I told him that we would address that in practice. We didn’t go over it today postgame, but we will wait until the next practice and address our lack of rebounding.”
On getting Jada Walker to take over as a leader when she’s on the floor…
“Jada does lead by example. She doesn’t do a lot of talking naturally. Trying to force her to when Jazmine’s not on the floor because that’s kind of a security blanket. Reminding her that one day Jaz is going to be gone, and you are the point guard on the floor. So, we’re putting her in moments where we can teach her and she can use it as an experience. There’s no better teacher than getting the experience.”
On having Massengill show Walker how to lead and the two working together…
“Well, Jaz has been a great mentor for Jada. Obviously she’s a seasoned vet. There are some things that she understands the intricate details of the game, the game plan, that she can help Jada with, but I love Jada. She is coachable. She wants to learn, she’s going to watch film, but some of it just takes time. It is a process, it is a journey, and where she is right now as a freshman, she’s probably ahead of the curve of learning, but you can only learn so much information. It just takes time.”
On how the team broke down the Merrimack zone…
“Yeah, anytime Rhyne Howard’s in the middle, she’s a great decision maker. Obviously, she can score, but her ability to pass and make the right read makes our zone look really good. So, as you can see, she flashed up there, it was either shoot or she could make the pass. So yes, I was happy on what we did there and our zone offense.”
Kentucky Student-Athletes
#11 Jada Walker, Freshman, Guard
On how her first few months of her college experience with Kentucky has been…
“It’s really been fun. Just the fact that I do get to play, because most freshmen don’t even get this experience. It’s good to learn behind a great point guard and the number one player in the country obviously so yeah, I’m just taking it day by day learning and getting better and helping my teammates.”
On what she’s learned most since the season started…
“Probably slowing down. That’s the main thing. I’ve always gone fast because to me like that’s my advantage. I’m not really tall so I just use my speed but learning to know when to use it and why not to is what I’m working on right now.”
On how she’s intense on defense…
“Well, my mom really preaches defense. I’m short so I have to keep the person in front of me and deny them from looking inside to the post, or to anyone else, and it makes their offense calmer, and makes it easier for us on defense.”
#10 Rhyne Howard, Senior, Guard
On being the fourth all time UK women’s scorer…
“It means I’m working hard. It’s really just great to have fun while I’m doing it, and still achieving these goals and accomplishing all these accolades while helping my teammates and working hard.”
On her high school retiring her jersey…
“Well, I didn’t cry. If that’s what you’re asking. But it was great to be back home and be around everyone who supports me is happy for me. And then to see my jersey up there is great. It’s always great to achieve something that big.”
On if there was anything in particular she was looking for towards center court during the third quarter…
“Usually, the middle is the most vulnerable, so they put me there so I can have a wide open shot, or I could dish it down the middle, or just kick it out and make the right decision. “
#3 Jazmine Massengill, Senior, Guard
On her teammates encouraging her to shoot more shots…
They just told me to shoot the ball. Look for my shots. Even though I’m a pass first point guard, they definitely tell me to have my shot. So, that’s why I’ve tried to make an effort in doing it.”
On if she and Coach Elzy talk about shooting more…
Yes, it’s an everyday battle, everyday conversation. It’s not that I don’t want to shoot, its just that I’m pass first, and I want to get my teammates so involved that sometimes it kind of hurts me but she’s definitely patient with me and definitely pushed me to shoot the ball more.”
On leading the nation on the assist-turnover ratio and if she thinks about that often
“It’s not something I think about. They definitely mentioned it to me in the last game. And yeah, I’m proud of myself. I hate turning the ball over. I pride myself in getting my teammates the ball, so yeah, I feel good about myself.”
