# 2020–21 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team

The 2020–21 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by head coach Kyra Elzy, played their home games at Memorial Coliseum and Rupp Arena and competed as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

## Preseason
### SEC media poll

The SEC media poll was released on November 17, 2020.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | South Carolina |
| 2 | Kentucky |
| 3 | Texas A&M |
| 4 | Arkansas |
| 5 | Mississippi State |
| 6 | Tennessee |
| 7 | LSU |
| 8 | Alabama |
| 9 | Georgia |
| 10 | Missouri |
| 11 | Ole Miss |
| 12 | Florida |
| 13 | Vanderbilt |
| 14 | Auburn |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 18 | | | | | |
| Coaches | 12 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
^Coaches' Poll did not release a second poll at the same time as the AP.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 25, 2020* 1:00 pm, SEC+ | No. 11 | Murray State | W 86–60 | 1–0 | 30 – Patterson | 9 – Owens | 3 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| November 29, 2020* 2:00 pm, SECN | No. 11 | Belmont | W 70–50 | 2–0 | 27 – Edwards | 15 – Edwards | 4 – Benton | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| December 3, 2020* 7:30 pm | No. 11 | at Kansas State Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge | W 60–49 | 3–0 | 16 – Edwards | 12 – Edwards | 5 – Tied | Bramlage Coliseum (502) Manhattan, KS |
| December 6, 2020* 4:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 11 | No. 13 Indiana Rivalry | W 72–68 | 4–0 | 22 – Howard | 9 – Edwards | 6 – Patterson | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| December 9, 2020* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 9 | Marshall | W 79–45 | 5–0 | 17 – Green | 8 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| December 13, 2020* 2:00 pm | No. 9 | Samford | W 88–54 | 6–0 | 16 – Patterson | 7 – Howard | 6 – Howard | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| December 16, 2020* 3:00 pm | No. 9 | at No. 24 DePaul | L 82–86 | 6–1 | 22 – Patterson | 12 – Howard | 5 – Edwards | Wintrust Arena Chicago, IL |
| December 19, 2020* 2:00 pm, SEC+ | No. 9 | Wofford | W 98–37 | 7–1 | 19 – Edwards | 9 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| SEC regular season |||||||||
| December 31, 2020 8:30 pm, SECN | No. 13 | No. 10 Arkansas | W 75–64 | 8–1 (1–0) | 24 – Howard | 10 – Howard | 4 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| January 3, 2021 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | at No. 12 Mississippi State | W 92–86 $^{OT}$ | 9–1 (2–0) | 33 – Howard | 11 – Edwards | 6 – Howard | Humphrey Coliseum (1,000) Starkville, MS |
| January 7, 2021 8:30 pm, SECN | No. 10 | at No. 8 Texas A&M | L 60–77 | 9–2 (2–1) | 22 – Howard | 6 – Howard | 5 – Howard | Reed Arena (824) College Station, TX |
| January 10, 2021 Noon, ESPN2 | No. 10 | No. 5 South Carolina | L 70–75 | 9–3 (2–2) | 32 – Howard | 7 – Tied | 4 – Patterson | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| January 17, 2021 5:00 pm, SECN | No. 12 | Vanderbilt | W 80–73 | 10–3 (3–2) | 22 – Green | 8 – Edwards | 7 – Patterson | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| January 21, 2021 8:30 pm, SECN | No. 12 | at Auburn | W 76–71 | 11–3 (4–2) | 18 – Green | 8 – McKinney | 4 – McKinney | Auburn Arena (578) Auburn, AL |
| January 24, 2021 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 12 | at No. 25 Tennessee Rivalry | L 53–70 | 11–4 (4–3) | 15 – Patterson | 5 – Owens | 4 – Patterson | Thompson–Boling Arena (2,609) Knoxville, TN |
| January 28, 2021 6:30 pm, SECN | No. 15 | Alabama | W 81–68 | 12–4 (5–3) | 16 – Howard | 8 – Howard | 7 – Tied | Memorial Coliseum (1,533) Lexington, KY |
| January 31, 2021 1:00 pm, SECN | No. 15 | Missouri | W 61–55 | 13–4 (6–3) | 22 – Howard | 10 – Howard | 3 – Howard | Memorial Coliseum (1,200) Lexington, KY |
| February 4, 2021 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 15 | at Ole Miss | L 60–72 | 13–5 (6–4) | 26 – Howard | 10 – Howard | 4 – Howard | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (844) Oxford, MS |
| February 11, 2021 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 20 | No. 16 Tennessee Rivalry | W 71–56 | 14–5 (7–4) | 21 – Patterson | 7 – Tied | 6 – Howard | Memorial Coliseum (1,683) Lexington, KY |
| February 15, 2021 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 17 | at Florida | W 88–80 | 15–5 (8–4) | 31 – Howard | 9 – Howard | 6 – Rickards | O'Connell Center (659) Gainesville, FL |
| February 19, 2021 2:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 17 | LSU | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Postponed due to weather concerns. | Memorial Coliseum Lexington, KY |
| February 21, 2021 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 17 | at No. 2 South Carolina | L 55–76 | 15–6 (8–5) | 12 – Howard | 6 – Howard | 5 – Massengill | Colonial Life Arena Columbia, SC |
| February 25, 2021 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 19 | at No. 17 Georgia | W 62–58 | 16–6 (9–5) | 27 – Howard | 6 – Wyatt | 5 – Massengill | Stegeman Coliseum Athens, GA |
| February 28, 2021 Noon, SECN | No. 19 | Ole Miss | L 69–73 | 16–7 (9–6) | 21 – Howard | 16 – Howard | 5 – Howard | Memorial Coliseum Lexington, KY |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| March 4, 2021 1:30 pm, SECN | (5) No. 17 | vs. (12) Florida Second Round | W 73–64 | 17–7 | 27 – Howard | 8 – McKinney | 4 – Tied | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| March 5, 2021 1:30 pm, SECN | (5) No. 17 | vs. (4) No. 16 Georgia Quarterfinals | L 66–78 | 17–8 | 33 – Howard | 9 – McKinney | 4 – Massengill | Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2021 2:00 pm, ESPN | (4 RW) No. 18 | vs. (13 RW) Idaho State First Round | W 71-63 | 18-8 | 14 – Howard | 9 – Howard | 5 – Tied | Alamodome San Antonio, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||