In 2002, her first year as a senior competitor, Kupets placed second at the American Cup, behind 2000 Olympian Tasha Schwikert, and placed eighth at Nationals. She was named to the U.S. team for the 2002 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, where she won the uneven bars final over five-time defending champion Svetlana Khorkina.