With the match on the line and a crowd watching in anticipation, sophomore Kinaa Graham delivered the defining moment of No. 16 LSU's stunning 4-2 upset over No. 6 UCLA at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship on Saturday.
Earned the victory. pic.twitter.com/UkuYh0I7ML
— LSU Women's Tennis (@LSUwten) February 8, 2025
Facing a relentless opponent in UCLA's Ahmani Guichard on Court 5, Graham found herself on the brink of defeat. But with unshakable poise and a steely resolve, she staged a remarkable comeback, overturning a one-set deficit to secure a hard-fought 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory, sealing LSU's biggest win in nearly eight years.
About the Sophomore Sensation
The Texas native had burst onto the college tennis scene in her freshman year with an impressive 13-8 singles record before a season-ending injury cut her momentum short last February. Now, in her sophomore campaign, she delivered the kind of performance that defines champions much like her
Jamaican Olympian father, Winthrop Graham. Kinaa's mother, Yvonne Graham, also participated in the World Cup and World National Championship in the track and field scene.
Back Like She Never Left 🦾
— LSU Women's Tennis (@LSUwten) January 6, 2025
✅ Kinaa Graham wins her first match back from injury over Madelyn Ludwig, 6-3, 7-6(4)
📍 UTR PTT Baton Rouge pic.twitter.com/1u9zJYvJtc
Trailing 2-6 after a dominant opening set from Guichard, Graham made tactical adjustments, lengthening rallies and forcing her opponent into deep exchanges. She clawed her way back to a 7-5 second-set win, then traded blows in a fiercely contested third. Down 4-5 and two games from defeat, Graham found another gear, breaking Guichard's serve and rattling off three consecutive games to clinch the victory.
Tigers Make Statement on the National Stage
LSU, now 6-1 on the season, stunned a UCLA squad that had been a dominant force in women's tennis. The Bruins nearly erased a 3-0 deficit with victories from Elise Wagle and Kate Fakih, but Graham's heroics dashed their comeback hopes. LSU's victory marked its highest-ranked win since 2017, when the Tigers took down No. 5 Auburn.
The match began with LSU taking a commanding lead in doubles play. The No. 71 duo of Cadence Brace and Kayla Cross set the tone with a 6-2 win over UCLA's ninth-ranked Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle, while Tilwith Di Girolami and Anita Sahdiieva secured the doubles point with an identical 6-2 triumph.
Brace and Cross carried their dominance into singles, each securing straight-set victories to give LSU a 3-0 lead. Wagle and Fakih responded for UCLA, but Graham's late-match brilliance prevented a full Bruins comeback.
With the statement win in hand, LSU advances to face the winner of Oklahoma State vs. Illinois in their final ITA National Indoor Championship match Sunday. For Graham, Saturday's victory was a defining moment in what promises to be a breakout season. No longer just a promising young player, she has announced herself as a force to be reckoned with in college tennis.