UK women's basketball team head shots for the 2011-12 season. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

Kentucky finished one of its best seasons in history where its two other greatest ones ended in 1982 and 2010.

While the Wildcats won't be going to the Final Four after losing 80-65 on Tuesday night to Connecticut in the Kingston Regional finals, they're gaining valuable knowledge about what it takes to get there.

This year, the Wildcats (28-7) won a Southeastern Conference regular season title for the first time and matched a school-record with 28 wins.

They'll lose starting guards Keyla Snowden and Amber Smith, but SEC player of the year A'dia Mathies and SEC freshman of the year Bria Goss will be back.

With SEC coach of the year Matthew Mitchell back at the helm, Kentucky will likely enter next season as the conference favorite - not Tennessee.