What Jayla Kelly's transfer means for Mizzou women's basketball
Another regular contributor for Missouri women's basketball is entering the transfer portal, this time dealing a blow to the Tigers' frontcourt rotation.
Jayla Kelly, a starting center for MU this year, announced she would be entering the transfer portal Wednesday evening. She averaged 3.2 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game during the 2022-2023 season.
Kelly is the second player to depart via the portal, following Lauren Hansen's departure last week.
"I would like to first say thank you to Mizzou and the fans for supporting me and giving me memories that will last forever," Kelly wrote on social media. "To my teammates thank you for all the memories and bonds we created. Those will last forever."
Now, Robin Pingeton has to fill two key roles on her team: first is a spot-up perimeter shooter and the second is now a post player that can match up with SEC post players.
Kelly came to MU as a four-star center prospect. She starred at Parkway Central High School, starting all four years, scoring 1,150 points and setting the school record for career rebounds with 1,104.
At MU, Kelly saw her playing time increase as her time in Columbia went on. This peaked this past season when Kelly was set to take over the playing time in the post created as LaDazhia Williams and Aijha Blackwell departed.
Kelly had moments where she showed her potential. The first was against Kentucky last season when Kelly started in place of Blackwell and Williams, and the second moment was this past season against Tennessee.
Against The Volunteers, Kelly scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds against a UT team that boasted size and rebounding skills. It was perhaps her finest hour, which was all for naught as MU couldn't hold on to a five-point lead with one minute remaining. Kelly was not on the floor for the final minute of that game.
Although Kelly never averaged the kind of statistics that would indicate a looming presence in the post, the potential was always there for her to be that player. An ankle injury kept her from seeing the floor as consistently as the team needed this past season for her to grow into a player that could level out the rebounding game for MU, which lost the rebounding battle consistently last year.
Now, Pingeton needs to scour the transfer portal for a player that can immediately fill Kelly's shoes.
Kelly stood at 6-foot-3. She gave the Tigers size that was key against SEC teams. Finding that in the portal is easier said than done, and convincing a top-rated player to bring their talents to Columbia is an even taller task.
But, that size in the post is what MU needs to keep up with teams like Tennessee. When Kelly missed time this season with an ankle injury, it left a hole.
Most notably, Kelly missed the final three games of the regular season nursing that injury. MU loss two of those three games to Ole Miss and Florida.
Pingeton needs to dive into the portal even more now than she said she would at the season's end against Kansas in the WNIT. Since that loss, MU has seen two starters depart.
Sara-Rose Smith's emergence this season as a wing player can help ease the loss that comes with Kelly's departure. But, Smith isn't a pure post player. She would need to become much more physical in the post to be the kind of difference-maker the team needs, and Smith's improved shooting means she's much more effective as a wing player, anyway.
There are still spots for MU to fill, as De'Necia Trusty received a medical waiver meaning she will not count the scholarship count.
Incoming freshman Hannah Linthacum will see time in the rotation, however a transfer post player would be a more seamless transition that MU needs, especially with the expectation that Pingeton's 14th season has to lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament in order to coach a 15th season in Columbia.
Her work is now much more cut out for her.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou women's basketball's Jayla Kelly to enter the transfer portal
