UK Hoops’ impressive season ends early

Head coach Matthew Mitchell of the Kentucky Wildcats gives a thumbs up to fans after the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Sweet 16 game against the Washington Huskies at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY on Friday, March 25, 2016. Photo by Michael Reaves | Staff.

Caitlin Schwartz

It is no surprise that the UK women’s basketball team had an impressive season this year as it went 25-8 overall on the season. UK made its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh in a row under head coach Matthew Mitchell.

The Cats fell 85-72 to Washington in front of an eager Rupp Arena crowd who was trying to cheer them on to a win that would take them to the Elite 8. It was UK’s sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 and first appearance since 2014.

“This was one of the greatest experiences of my coaching career,” Mitchell said, “working with this group of young women who really became a team.”

Mitchell had nothing but respect for senior Janee Thompson. Thompson came a long away over her four-year UK career, from being an aggressive freshman with a bit of an attitude to a senior leader who led like a coach on the court.

“Really proud of Janee Thompson and the person she’s developed into and the leader she’s developed into for our team,” Mitchell said.

Thompson did not let a season-ending injury her junior year take anything away from her senior year play. She finished her career with 11 points against Washington and 1,015 career points. She also finished with 347 assists in her career, which ranks 10th on UK’s all-time list.

“It’s meant a lot to me seeing these girls grow and get better every day,” Thompson said. “I’ve become really close with this team and they’re like family. They’re like my sisters. I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and how much better we’ve gotten. I wouldn’t rather be out here with anybody else.”

Thompson’s backcourt partner, Makayla Epps, also gave fans a lot to enjoy over the season. Epps contributed wherever UK needed her on the court, averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, but she also showed growth off the court, returning this season with a lot more maturity after having some issues last season and even receiving a suspension from the team. When it came down to it, Mitchell never gave up on Epps, and she rewarded him with great play on the court.

“He came in here over the summer and we worked together as a team, as a duo,” Epps said. “He sat me down and we just talked about life and then a bunch of like growing, building activities, stuff that I really just needed to grow and mature, not just as a player, but as a person too.”

These Cats provided fans with a different type of team this season. UK still had some of the grind-it-out style that Mitchell-coached teams are known for with junior transfer Evelyn Akhator, but freshmen Maci Morris and Taylor Murray also helped give UK some offensive firepower that made this team dangerous for the opponents and fun for the fans.