Women's Fastbreak On SI

Kentucky Star Georgia Amoore Has 2-Word Reaction to NCAA Tournament Scare vs Liberty

Kentucky Wildcats star Georgia Amoore got honest about her team's performance after nearly losing in the NCAA Tournament's first round.

Grant Young

Mar 7, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Georgia Amoore (3) goes to the basket against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Mar 7, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Georgia Amoore (3) goes to the basket against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament almost started (and ended) in devastating fashion for the No. 4 seed Kentucky Wildcats, as they barely escaped with a 79-78 victory in their first-round game against No. 13 seed Liberty on Friday.

Kentucky was cruising to an easy win, beating Liberty by a score of 64-50 through three quarters before this lead came crashing down in the fourth. Right when it appeared that Kentucky would escape unscathed, Liberty player Emma Hess banked in a three-point shot with about two seconds remaining to dwindle the Wildcats' lead down to one point.

Ultimately, Kentucky managed to inbound the ball and run out the clock, securing the win and ensuring they weren't the first major upset of the tournament. But they would not have won if not for star guard Georgia Amoore, who finished the win with 34 points (20 of which came in the first half), including six made three-pointers, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Amoore spoke with ESPN analyst and basketball legend Tamika Catchings after the game. And when Catchings asked how she felt about the game, Amoore made her feelings clear.

"Not good," Amoore said with a laugh.

"I think we had them in a position where we could put them away early, and I don't think it should have been that close at the end. I think we just need to be confident. We had our shots to step up and knock them down, and I don't know if this is the best story of our team. I think next game we're definitely going to have to come out hungrier, more confident, and have a little bit more energy," she added.

When asked when Kentucky has to do next game, Amoore said, "Just confidence, that's all it really is. We had the actions, we had the shots, we had the opportunities. Just have confidence that we've done this all year. We're a good team, we're in this position, we're hosting for a reason. We've just got to believe it."

The Wildcats will likely need a more complete performance on Sunday if they're to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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