Following a SEC championship and a second NCAA tournament appearance in her two seasons, Kentucky and Kyra Elzy have agreed on a contract extension through 2027.
The news of this extension is huge for the foundation of the women‘s program and gives the BBN a clear image of where Kentucky is heading. Even with Elzy locked into the program for the coming years, she still has a lot to figure out with the large amount of roster turnover. The landscape of college basketball is changing every year and Elzy has to replace five key players that will no longer be in the program next season due to graduation and transfers.
In her two seasons at Kentucky, Coach Elzy has led the Wildcats to a 37-21 record with arguably the greatest to ever put on the blue and white at her arsenal. With Rhyne Howard on the verge of graduation and a top selection in the WNBA draft, Elzy will have to prove that she can consistently win without a generational talent on the roster.
This news will likely be met with some backlash as there is definitely a noisy portion of the fanbase who is ready for a new face. For now, Mitch Barnhart is placing his faith in being patient and allowing Elzy to build the program. This tactic has had mixed results if you look at Mark Stoops and Nick Mingione and the trajectory of each of their programs. It will be interesting to see how this leap of faith plays out for Kentucky.
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