Kentucky fires Kyra Elzy as women’s basketball coach just two years after winning its first SEC crown since 1982.

Kentucky fired women’s basketball coach Kyra Elzy on Monday after consecutive losing seasons that followed the Wildcats’ first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship since 1982.

On Thursday within the SEC tournament, Kentucky lost to Tennessee 76-62 and finished the sport with a results of 11-20, including 4-12 in league play through the regular season. Elzy was 61-60 in 4 seasons and 8-3 within the conference tournament, but Kentucky had failed to achieve the quarterfinal round within the two seasons since winning the title. This season’s bottom half is consistent with last season’s 12-19 mark (2-14 SEC).

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in a news release that he appreciates Elsa’s efforts at Kentucky on and off the court and desires her and her family “the best in the future.”

The Wildcats struggled late in the sport, suffering 10 losses in 13 games, including a season-high loss to No. 1 South Carolina, averaging 55 points. Kentucky has struggled against other SEC opponents, having lost its last 4 by a minimum of 14 points.

Elzy, a former Tennessee player, worked as an assistant at Kentucky under Matthew Mitchell for several years and most recently served as associate head coach from 2016-2020. Mitchell’s sudden retirement just before the 2020-21 season pushed her into an interim coaching role, which was removed in December after a formidable begin to the season.

Elzy’s starting lineup, which included two-time SEC Player of the Year and eventual three-time All-American freshman guard Rhyne Howard, reached the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The following spring saw a remarkable run to the SEC Championship, culminating in a 64-62 loss to top-ranked South Carolina within the tournament final on Edwards’ game-winning 3-pointer late in the sport.

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In the NCAA first round, the sixth-seeded Wildcats fell to No. 11 seed Princeton. Howard became the first No. 1 overall pick within the WNBA Draft, chosen by the Atlanta Dream.

Kentucky has struggled to proceed this milestone, and injuries this season have not helped; The Wildcats have used 12 starting combos and the identical starters in just the last five games.

Elzy was also an assistant coach at Tennessee, where she won two national championships as a player under Hall of Famer Pat Summitt from 1996-2001, and at Kansas and Western Kentucky.