Vicky Graff Photo
It was not the kind of ending Blair Green would have ever envisioned in her final home game at Kentucky with an 83-63 loss to Tennessee but appreciates the way fans supported her to where she became one of the most popular UK women’s players ever.
“They’ve built me to who I am today and that I just want to continue just to give back and just be a role model for the kids around that area,” said Green about the fans. “Never give up, continue to chase your dreams.
“You can be here to or whatever you do, whether that’s basketball, softball or any other hobby that you have, as long as you work at it, you can get to wherever you are. So, I just want to continue to give back.”
Green did not score as she went 0-for-6 from the field in 34 minutes and had just one rebound.
Green and teammates went through Senior Day festivities before playing their final game in Memorial in her fifth season — she redshirted last year due to an injury.
She said it hit her this was it at Memorial when coach Kyra Elzy took her out late in the game.
“It just hit that it was the end for Memorial. But at the same time just keeping our mindset it might be the last game in Memorial but it’s not our last game with the Kentucky jersey on. We’ll definitely carry it on,” Green said.
The UK senior from Harlan County said there had been “highs and lows” in Memorial Coliseum. She said she had thought a lot about what Memorial Coliseum meant to hear over the last few weeks.
“Just like reflecting on that stuff, but yeah, there’s some amazing memories made in here and it just means everything to me,” Green said.
She had no trouble recalling her favorite Memorial Coliseum moments.
“Definitely when we hit the game winner against Arkansas. Vanderbilt when I had to play point guard and we pulled that one out. Yeah, there’s a lot of memories that go back. Yeah, that’s just a few but Texas A&M. We beat them and they were like top five,” Green said.
Kentucky’s next game will be in the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday in Greenville, S.C. Kentucky won the SEC Tournament last year for the first time in 40 years but will have to play on opening night this year because UK and Texas A&M have the league’s worst records at 2-14. UK is only 10-18 overall.
“Our mindset is zero to zero. Everyone’s zero to zero. I mean, we didn’t really have the SEC season that we wanted. But at this point, how are we going to change it? How do we want this to look? I mean, at this point, we’re all playing for a championship,” Green said.
“And no one’s record matters at this point. It’s just whoever wants it more. So, I think that’s definitely our mindset.”
Green said UK has some debts to repay over some close losses this season.
“There’s a lot of games that we look back on and we’re like, ‘Man, we really owe this team like we should have beat them and won a couple of these games and stuff.’ So, I think we’re really ready just to get these games back and prove that we should have won those games,” Green said.
