West Virginia

3 keys for Kentucky Women’s Basketball to survive West Virginia, and a prediction

Published

3 months ago

March 23, 2026

3 keys for Kentucky Women’s Basketball to survive West Virginia, and a prediction

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. Kentucky has shown they can get loose with the ball; it was the defining factor that cost them the game against Vanderbilt at home, and it has haunted them in several other close matchups this season. Looking at the season stats, the Cats average 12.7 turnovers a game, but they have 9 games with 16 or more turnovers. Against West Virginia’s pressure, that number can spiral out of control in a hurry. Job number one is simple: value the basketball, make strong passes, and do not let the Mountaineers speed up the offense. Easier said than done, but it is a key.

Key #2: Dominate the War on the Glass

This is where Kentucky’s size has to neutralize West Virginia’s speed. The Mountaineers average a respectable 36.6 rebounds per game, but Kentucky has the edge on paper, pulling down 40.6 boards a night.

To win this game, that paper advantage has to translate into unrelenting effort on the hardwood. The Cats need their frontcourt to dominate. Clara Strack (10.1 rebounds) and Teonni Key (7.3 rebounds) both need to be hunting double-doubles. Furthermore, Amelia Hassett needs to chip in and do the dirty work in the paint. If Kentucky can outwork West Virginia and finish the game +7 on the boards, they will control the tempo and limit second-chance points. That will offset some of the turnovers that will surely happen.

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Key #3: Find a Spark Off the Bench

Kentucky doesn’t boast the deepest rotation in the tournament, with its core six players chewing up the vast majority of the minutes. But in a high-stakes, high-pressure tournament setting, relying solely on the starters is a recipe for fatigue, and we have seen that already this year in the loss to South Carolina at home.

The Wildcats desperately need Kaelyn Carroll, Lexi Blue, or Jordan Obi to step up and push into double figures. Obi will get the most minutes, as usual, so she is most likely to do so. More importantly, they need Carroll to provide highly productive minutes just to give the starters a breather without the offense stalling. Blue hasn’t seen the floor much this season (averaging just 6.7 minutes), but if she can come in and provide two to three solid, mistake-free minutes, it would be massive for the rotation.

If Kentucky can squeeze 15 points out of the bench, you have to feel incredibly good about their chances of advancing.

I really believe this team wins this game as long as they don’t turn it over, even on the road.

Prediction Kentucky 77, West Virginia 69

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West Virginia

Stories of the Week: June 14 through June 20

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4 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Stories of the Week: June 14 through June 20

There are early Dyson deals for Prime Day Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner — the annual four-day sales event is happening June 23-26 this year. In the past, it’s been a great time to score substantial discounts on Dyson products, from …

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West Virginia

Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews

Published

14 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va – Charleston is celebrating Juneteenth with its annual parade, followed by a celebration in Slack Plaza featuring live entertainment, food, educational exhibits, and more.

The parade stepped off from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 11:30 on Friday with a long line of organizations participating and several community members recognized as “Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.” Smiles dotted the procession as organizers watched a community come together.

“It’s just a wonderful thing when we can bring the community together to celebrate freedom, and here in West Virginia, we’ve had some challenges because they’ve said that Juneteenth is not a state holiday, but our people are still celebrating,” parade chairperson Karen Williams said.

The parade marked the start of an entire day recognizing the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people when the Union Army arrived at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. With the last stronghold of slavery in the Confederate States eradicated that day, June 19 came to be celebrated as a second independence day, and President Joe Biden established it as a national holiday in 2021.

In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice was the first to declare a state holiday and did so in each of his last four years in office. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation on Friday but has not declared a state holiday in 2025 or 2026.

“Representation really matters, so seeing Black queens and Black kings roaming the streets of Charleston is a beautiful thing, and it’s a needed thing. I think there’s a lot more people that aren’t going to celebrate Juneteenth than people that are, so I think it’s really important that we continue to celebrate this holiday and show why it’s important,” Miss Juneteenth Adult Keyarna Frederick said.

Different groups from around the Kanawha Valley came out to participate from businesses and youth organizations to political committees and arts collectives. Williams believes that shows that Juneteenth is a day for the entire community to celebrate.

“Appalachian people have always grown up and lived together, and what we want—we want people to continue that. We want people to continue to be together. We’re not saying this is a Black event or a white event. We welcome all people to come and participate,” she said.

The parade route echoed her sentiment as nearly everyone who joined the parade shared handshakes, high-fives, and hugs. That spirit of togetherness spoke to the day’s honorees as well.

“It’s definitely something that we should all be celebrating. It’s for all of us, not just for a certain color or a certain kind. It’s for all of us, so I believe everyone should be celebrating this day,” Mr. Juneteenth Adult Edward Frederick said.

“This is my first time in the parade. It’s so beautiful. It’s so amazing to see different organizations a part of the parade, seeing how much muscle has went into even doing something like this, so I think it’s a beautiful thing for Charleston,” Keyarna Frederick added.

From the parade to the activities in Slack Plaza, the day’s organizers sought to create an environment to celebrate Juneteenth with a spirit of unity. Williams hopes that anyone that joined or watched felt that along the way.

“I want them to see that we are Almost Heaven, West Virginia; that we are celebrating freedom; and that we are a community that embraces one another,” she said.

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