Lost then found: UK’s Elzy not only brings home SEC trophy but finds Calipari’s watch
Kentucky winning the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tournament endured beyond Sunday’s championship game victory over No. 1 South Carolina.
UK men’s coach John Calipari and his wife, Ellen, attended the women’s championship game in Nashville. While cheering for the UK women, Calipari’s watch flew off his wrist.
“Absolutely amazing accomplishment and so much fun watching them today FIGHT and play as one!,” Calipari tweeted. “Also, I threw my arms in the air celebrating and my white gold Rolex popped off my wrist. If you find it, I have a reward!
“It’s my lucky watch, too!
During an appearance on the Kentucky Sports Radio show Monday, UK women’s coach Kyra Elzy said one of her players’ family members found Calipari’s white gold Rolex. She returned it to Calipari.
Calipari expressed his gratitude on social media.
“Can you believe it?!?,” Calipari tweeted Monday. “@UKCoachLZ wins an SEC championship in one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen … AND THEN SHE FINDS MY WATCH!!
“You’re the best, Coach Elzy!!!”
Of returning Calipari’s watch, Elzy said, “it’s his lucky watch, and he needs it so they can win the SEC Tournament as well.”
If UK wins the SEC men’s tournament, a women’s/men’s sweep will not be an unprecedented feat, but it’s been a while. Georgia won both the SEC men’s and women’s tournaments in 1983. That’s the only time teams from the same school won the SEC men’s and women’s tournaments, the league office said.
As for the men’s SEC Tournament later this week in Tampa, Fla., Kentucky might not be the only team seeking inspiration from the UK women.
Alabama Coach Nate Oats spoke of how Kentucky’s women won the championship while being a seven-seed. The Tide are a six-seed in the men’s tournament and could play three-seed Kentucky in Friday’s quarterfinals.
The example set by the UK women shows that an Alabama championship in the men’s tournament is “definitely doable,” Oats said.
Oats acknowledged not knowing how closely his players follow women’s basketball other than Alabama’s team. But he said the UK women could be an example he uses to bolster his team’s confidence.
“Obviously, that Kentucky women’s team may be one of those (teams) that we reference to our guys,” he said.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 1:36 PM.
