Jada Walker was a ‘fearless freshman.’ Now’s she’s Kentucky’s point guard of the future.
Kentucky’s point guard of the future is here today, and has been for the past nine months.
Jada Walker staked her claim to being a role player on this year’s UK team in the summer, when she arrived as a “fearless freshman” in the words of head coach Kyra Elzy.
She worked her way into the starting lineup in January.
In the wake of Kentucky’s season-ending loss to Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, Walker had established herself as one of the most consistent performers for the Wildcats at both ends of the court.
“What she has brought to our team this year is everything we needed,” Elzy said just minutes after Walker’s freshman season ended with a 6-11-seed upset loss to Princeton. “A winning mentality, a toughness, someone that loved defense, and the sky is truly the limit for her.”
In a season full of breakout moments, two of Walker’s most impressive performances came in demoralizing defeats at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
The first was on Nov. 14, as Kentucky lost its first road game of the season by 21 points against Indiana. It was Walker’s first road game as a college player, and she rose to the occasion when several of her teammates did not.
Walker scored 16 points on an efficient 7-for-13 shooting performance while committing just one turnover.
It was a performance that echoed the words of Sam Caldwell, one of Walker’s former high school coaches at New Hope Academy in Maryland, when he spoke to the Herald-Leader last summer.
“You’re not going to find anybody that’s going to outwork her, and I believe the kid is going to be a pro,” Caldwell said. “I think she’ll be unlike any other freshman Kentucky’s had in a long time.”
On March 19, the narrative repeated itself.
Kentucky was upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Princeton, 69-62, but Walker was one of the main reasons the Wildcats remained competitive throughout the contest.
Walker’s 37 minutes played led the UK team, as did her six steals, which were a career high. Her three assists tied for the team lead with senior point guard Jazmine Massengill, and Massengill committed one more turnover (four in total) than Walker (three).
While Walker didn’t score in the second half, her 11 first-half points kept UK within striking distance while Dre’una Edwards and Rhyne Howard missed time due to injury evaluation.
When the time came to step forward and be counted on — in similar fashion to UK’s opening Southeastern Conference Tournament win over Mississippi State — Walker was front and center.
In addition to delivering a big-time postseason performance when her team needed it, Walker’s showing on March 19 can be viewed as a changing of the guard in the Kentucky backcourt.
Walker was one of two players — along with Howard — to play in all 31 games this season.
Walker often played in tandem with Massengill, and the duo started 21 games together.
Massengill, who put her name in the NCAA transfer portal on March 25, served as a mentor to Walker, and she said prior to the SEC Tournament that Walker has “everything she needs as a player” to continue her progression to being a pestering point guard on defense and an effective operator on offense.
“Me and Jada are complete opposites on the court, but I look up to her in a way. Her energy, her effort for all 40 minutes,” Massengill said. “We kind of feed off each other … opposites attract.”
“The game had to slow down for her,” Massengill added. “She gets in her head a lot, so just us as a team we try to bring her back and let her know it’s OK. It’s OK to make mistakes.”
Also before the SEC Tournament, Elzy revealed what her first conversations were like with Walker on the UK campus last summer.
“One of the first things I told her (was), ‘Don’t back down. We’re going to need what you bring,’” Elzy said.
Walker is locked into a starting spot for Kentucky come her sophomore season, but it remains to be seen what the backcourt around her will look like.
Four Kentucky starters from a season ago won’t be with the Cats this fall.
Howard is going to the WNBA, while Massengill, along with redshirt junior forward Dre’una Edwards and sophomore guard Treasure Hunt, all entered their names into the NCAA transfer portal on March 25.
Senior guards Robyn Benton and Blair Green — who didn’t play this season due to an Achilles injury sustained in late October — both have college eligibility remaining since the NCAA granted fall and winter sports athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kentucky’s incoming five-person recruiting class features four guards: Kennedy Cambridge, Amiya Jenkins, Cassidy Jo Rowe and Saniah Tyler.
There’s no timeline for when the pieces will officially fall into place for the 2022-23 Kentucky women’s basketball roster.
Whenever it does, Walker will be ready.
“Jada Walker is tough as nails. Her ability to bring the heat defensively, but I’ve said it all year, she’s fearless,” Elzy said. “Now that she has a season under her belt, y’all better watch out.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 6:15 AM.
