Six Kentuckians (and more) to watch in the 2022 women’s NCAA Tournament
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Selection Sunday: Both UK teams headed to Indiana for NCAA Tournament
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Kentucky has two of the top women’s Division I teams in the country in UK and Louisville, but the Bluegrass State’s star power in the 2022 women’s NCAA Tournament extends across the country.
Here’s a glance at the Kentuckians to follow during March Madness this year:
Six to watch
Grace Berger, Indiana: The senior guard from Sacred Heart was named first-team All-Big Ten by both the league’s coaches and media members. She’s averaging 16.4 points, up from 15.4 last season when she also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Berger tacks on 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 36.3 minutes and shoots 81.4% from three-point range. The Hoosiers (22-8) finished fifth in the regular-season Big Ten standings before advancing to the conference tournament championship game where they lost to Iowa. Berger scored 19 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists in the Hoosiers’ 88-67 victory against Kentucky on Nov. 14. Her season highs are 29 points (Feb. 12 vs. Michigan State), 11 rebounds (March 4 vs. Maryland), 11 assists (Jan. 5 at Wisconsin) and five steals (Feb. 19 vs. Iowa).
Lexi Held, DePaul: The Blue Demons, who eked their way into the field as a No. 12 seed, count among their stars the former Cooper standout Held. The second-team All-Big East selection, who transitioned from shooting guard to point guard this season, is fourth on the team in scoring (12.8 points) and first in assists (5.2). In a 94-85 win against Kentucky earlier this season, she scored 10 points to go along with a season-high 11 assists. Other season bests include 24 points vs. St. John’s and six steals vs. Vanderbilt.
KeKe McKinney, Charlotte: The former 6-foot-1 Kentucky forward now plays a key role for the Conference USA Tournament winners. She earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award while averaging 6.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and 0.9 steals. She has started all 31 games and averaged 32.2 minutes for the Forty Niners (22-9). Season highs for McKinney include 17 points and eight blocks vs. Rice, 16 rebounds at Marshall and five assists at Western Kentucky.
Brooklynn Miles, Tennessee: The former Franklin County star averages nearly 20 minutes in a reserve role for the Lady Vols (23-8). Her numbers: 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals. The freshman has played even more of late, averaging 24 minutes, 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in Tennessee’s two SEC Tournament games. Season highs for Miles are 11 points (Dec. 12 vs. Georgia State), six rebounds (Dec. 27 vs. Chattanooga), six assists (Dec. 5 at Virginia Tech) and three steals (Feb. 10 vs. Missouri).
Mykasa Robinson, Louisville: The senior guard out of Ashland Blazer was named to the ACC All-Defensive team for the second season in a row. The key reserve averages 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 20.6 minutes per game. Her season highs are nine points and four steals (Jan. 27 vs. Florida State), seven rebounds (Jan. 20 at N.C. State) and seven assists (Jan. 23 vs. Wake Forest.
Maddie Scherr, Oregon: The sophomore guard from Ryle, the 2019 state champions, leads the Ducks in steals (1.5 per game) and is second in assists (3.3) to go along with averaging 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds while starting 28 of 30 games this season. The 2020 Miss Basketball winner shoots 78.9% from the free-throw line.
Through the field
Blair Green, Kentucky: The former Harlan County star has averaged 5.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in three seasons — including 18 starts in 2020-21 — for the Southeastern Conference Tournament champs, but Green suffered a ruptured Achilles during the preseason and has had to sit out while recovering.
Emma King, Kentucky: The junior guard out of Lincoln County has averaged 14.1 minutes in 24 games for the Cats (19-11). She averages 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Her season highs of 10 points and four rebounds both came Jan. 25 in a 67-55 win at Auburn.
Kameron Roach, Charlotte: A 5-foot-6 senior guard who started her career at Kentucky, Roach plays 11.7 minutes per game. She averages 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds.
Jada Stinson, Illinois State: The 5-foot-8 graduate transfer guard starred at Elizabethtown before playing in college at Memphis and Arkansas State. She played in nine games, averaging 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 25.7 minutes, but is out for the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury.
This story was originally published March 13, 2022 at 8:38 PM.
