3 keys for Kentucky Women’s Basketball to survive West Virginia, and a prediction
Here are the three keys to Kentucky beating West Virginia and advancing.
Kentucky Wildcats center Clara Strack (13) jumps up for the ball Friday, March 6, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The sting of the men’s tournament exit is still fresh. A turnover-fueled, 19-point loss to Iowa State is a tough pill for the Big Blue Nation to swallow.
But in March, the page turns quickly. Now, the ladies have everyone’s undivided attention, and they should. They have been tremendous this year.
Kenny Brooks and company are set to take on West Virginia at 5 PM on Monday on ESPN2. The Mountaineers are fast, aggressive, and dangerous. If the Wildcats want to keep their postseason dreams alive and move on to the next round, they have to execute in three critical areas.
Here is the blueprint for a Kentucky victory and a trip to the Sweet 16 for the first time in a decade. Key #1: Protect the basketball at all costs You are probably sick of hearing about turnovers after watching the men struggle with them yesterday, but the reality is that West Virginia is going to try to replicate that exact same nightmare. The Mountaineers are absolute pests defensively, forcing an average of 22 turnovers per game.