As lone KY native, NCAAW title may mean more to Cards’ Mykasa Robinson
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BVM) – In the modern age of women’s basketball, recruiting has become increasingly critical as top prospects tend to turn the tide for programs. In many cases, this could bring top players across the country to represent their new program, think Minnesota native and UConn star Paige Bueckers or South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston who grew up in the Virgin Islands but played high school basketball in Massachusetts. At the University of Louisville, this phenomenon still holds true as the team’s top player, Hailey Van Lith, came from Washington.
But, within a roster that is mostly full of out-of-state prospects, one Kentuckian is representing her home state and hometown as a Cardinal while the team prepares to take the game’s biggest stage. Senior guard Mykasa Robinson came to Louisville as the top-ranked recruit in the state in the Class of 2018.
Robinson didn’t come as a regular player, either, she was already a star in Kentucky long before she made the decision to join the Cardinals. During her four seasons leading the Ashland Blazer Kittens, Robinson averaged 10.6 points as a freshman, 18.8 points as a sophomore and 17.4 points as a senior, missing most of her junior year with a torn ACL. While she’d earned state recognition in all three of the years she played a full season, it was her senior year that solidified her spot as a star.
As a senior, Robinson set a school record in steals while leading Ashland with 17.4 points per game and adding 7.5 rebounds a game. Thanks to her performance, Robinson was named the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Co-Player of the Year in the 16th Region and a finalist for Kentucky’s 2018 Miss Basketball award. This placed her as one of the nation’s top prospects ranking at No. 30 in Class of 2018 by HoopGurlz, making her the No. 8 guard in the class.
“She’s Ashland tough,” Cardinals associate coach Sam Purcell of Robinson. “Kids from Ashland, Kentucky, there’s something strong about them.”
Robinson committed to Louisville over the likes of Michigan State, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Dayton, Kentucky and Colorado, even though her sister played for the Buffs. With Louisville, Robinson has become a key contributor to the team’s success, playing in 127 games with 22 starts over four years.
While she hasn’t contributed a ton for the Cardinals on the offensive end, providing 2.5 points per game in her career, Robinson is known for her defensive prowess.
“I’m not always in the box score, my stats don’t always show up but I hope everyone knows I’m going to play hard no matter what and I’m going to make sure we get the job done,” Robinson the school’s athletic department.
During her four years, Robinson has recorded 248 defensive rebounds, 132 steals and 14 blocks and has been named to the ACC All-Defensive team as both a junior and senior, joining Georgia Tech’s Lorela Cubaj as the only two players to make the All-Defensive team the past two seasons.
“She does everything, she can guard 1-5, she hustles for every loose ball, she gets every rebound that’s in her area, she does everything that we need her to do,” Former Cardinals standout Dana Evans once of Robinson, “What she does doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but she gets it done and that’s why she is so valuable to our team.”
With an unmatched defensive effort, Robinson brings the Kentucky toughness with her every time she takes the court. Though she has only scored four points so far this March, she has recorded eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block in the team’s four games, playing just over 18 minutes each game. Though she may not stuff the statsheet like her teammate Van Lith, having a lockdown perimeter defender of Robinson’s caliber is an underappreciated reason why Louisville’s championship hopes are still alive.
“I call Kasa our MIP,” Associate strength and conditioning coach Beth Burns “She’s our most important person.”
Though the game of women’s college hoops is built on the effectiveness of recruiting, specifically from outside a program’s state, one of the most important players for Louisville is also the team’s only in-state product. With Robinson tasked with shutting down an opponent’s best outside threat, expect to see plenty of her as the Cardinals season comes down to the wire.
“There’s three things I push myself to know every night,” Robinson . “I’m going to play hard, I’m going to know every position on the floor and I’m going to know the scout for the other team. I think there’s just little things that can make you a great player other than scoring.”
