From chemistry to expectations, here are 5 questions for UK women’s basketball this season
By Caroline Makauskas,
15 hours ago
Kenny Brooks has won at each stop of his coaching career.
From guiding James Madison to its first NCAA Tournament win since 1991 in 2014 to leading Virginia Tech to a historic No. 1 seed and the first Final Four appearance in program history in 2023, Brooks has demonstrated his ability to not only identify and develop talent but also rally his teams to achieve sustained success.
This season, he embarks upon a new challenge — rebuild Kentucky women’s basketball and attempt to return the program to the national stage. Brooks reconstructed the roster, changed out the coaching staff and is now preparing to open his first season at the helm.
Naturally, Big Blue Nation might be unsure what exactly to expect from Brooks and the new-look Wildcats.
Where should fans set the bar for Brooks’ first squad?
Brooks and the Wildcats haven’t discussed what would make for a “successful” season in this first year, but he’s asking Big Blue Nation to be patient. Though he certainly wasted no time in recruiting or hitting the transfer portal with hopes of laying a strong foundation for years to come — and today’s NCAA landscape often demands early returns — the fact remains that championship programs aren’t built overnight, or even in one offseason.
“The expectation is quicker,” Brooks said. “Success quicker. But I think it’s my job to mentor, my responsibility to teach these kids, and there are no shortcuts. So I don’t want to put a number on it. I don’t want to put a destination on it. I just want them to get better every day. … It’s got to come over a course of the season. So if we could just focus on getting better every day, then I think we have a shot to continue to get better throughout the year, and then we’ll see what happens.”
At UK’s media day last week, he echoed a sentiment he’s issued since his arrival in March.
“I don’t know how good we’ll be in the beginning,” Brooks said, ”but I do know that we’ll make everyone proud because we’re going to work really, really hard, and we’re going to progress to something, I think it’s going to be very, very special.”
How does UK’s schedule fit a team that might need time to jell?
On paper, the Wildcats’ nonconference schedule isn’t the most challenging — a normal byproduct of a recent coaching change. That might very well work in their favor as they navigate on-court communication and chemistry.
Brooks told the Herald-Leader in September that he’s “pleased with the schedule” they were able to build, despite the fact that it’s “probably not indicative of how I would put it together.”
The Wildcats’ opening games, South Carolina Upstate (Nov. 4), Northern Kentucky (Nov. 7) and Wofford (Nov. 12) — all in Memorial Coliseum — give the team a bit of breathing room before its first marquee matchup of the season, when it hosts archrival Louisville on Nov. 16. One of three nonconference opponents ranked within ESPN’s latest way-too-early top 25 , the Cardinals (No. 17) should be Brooks’ squad’s first true challenge of the season.
The Wildcats, who improved to No. 23 in the latest edition of that list, will also face Illinois (No. 25) in Nashville during the Music City Classic on Nov. 27, and North Carolina (No. 13) in Chapel Hill on Dec. 5 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Other opponents include Arizona State (Nov. 26), Purdue (Dec. 14), Belmont (Dec. 20) and Western Kentucky (Dec. 28).
“It’s not all like I would like it,” Brooks said. “But we did a really good job of finding the games, putting it together. … I think it’s something that’s going to challenge us, and we’ll be able to learn a lot about ourselves before we get into the SEC.”
The Kentucky women’s basketball team is introduced during Big Blue Madness. Ryan C. Hermens/rhermens@herald-leader.com
Is chemistry a concern?
When 11 of 13 players are brand-new to campus, and only two pairs of players have experience as teammates, there’s always a risk that chemistry might not flow too easily — at least right away. But Brooks and his staff, more than anything, prioritize relationships in recruiting.
Of course, they’re looking for talented players who’ll fit into the system. But, according to Brooks, none of that matters if a player doesn’t fit into the culture.
“We don’t want to always just get the best players,” Brooks said. “We want to get the right players. Players that can come in and represent this university, our program. Help us start something special.”
With everybody on the same page, the players’ relationships can not only grow but thrive. Junior forward Amelia Hassett, who transferred to UK after two seasons at Eastern Florida State College, said at media day that the Wildcats have a strong chemistry off the court, and that she sees its on-court translating improving every day.
“It’s growing each and every practice,” Hassett said. “Off the court, we get along so well. But it’s just growing each day, so it’s really cool just to see it.”
Are there any future WNBA draft picks on this season’s roster?
Tamera Young (2008). Aisha Sheppard (2022). Liz Kitley (2024). All-America graduate transfer Georgia Amoore is surely next, having delayed her entry to the WNBA draft to spend one last year developing under Brooks.
Projected as a first-rounder both last year and this year, the decorated point guard stands to be Brooks’ highest WNBA draft selection since Young, his first, who went eighth overall to the Atlanta Dream. Amoore told the Herald-Leader in August that the opportunity to transfer to Kentucky for her fifth and final season of eligibility was “a good steppingstone to still develop but still have some change in your life.”
“Instead of just throwing my name out there and just completely changing,” Amoore said.
In a point guard-heavy draft class that will also probably feature Paige Bueckers (UConn), Rori Harmon (Texas), Olivia Miles (Notre Dame) and Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Amoore’s track record and leadership keep her in the conversation among the class’ best.
Aside from Amoore, it’s probably too soon to tell whether any Wildcats have WNBA potential. However, incoming 6-foot-7 freshman center Clara Silva (Portugal) comes to Lexington with multiple years of professional experience under her belt, and has been assessed as a top-10 level prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle by scouts and former coaches.
How much weight falls on Amoore to lead UK to the NCAA Tournament?
Another reason for Amoore’s transfer? An opportunity to help guide a rebuilding program.
And though she instantly became a face for this new chapter of Kentucky women’s basketball when she announced her commitment, Amoore can’t do it alone. Of course, Brooks and his staff wouldn’t expect her to, and signed a pair of fifth-year transfers to help lessen the load. Guards Dazia Lawrence (Charlotte) and Jordan Obi (Penn), both of whom are 1,000-point scorers, are no strangers to stepping up in the face of adversity and shining.
The 5-8 Lawrence, who appeared to take first-team reps at UK’s recent open practice, enrolled at Charlotte ahead of the 2019-20 season — but didn’t play a full season until 2022-23, during which she averaged nearly 17 points per game and earned first-team Conference USA honors. Last season, she led the 49ers in scoring with 18.2 points per contest and was named first-team American Athletic Conference in Charlotte’s debut campaign. When Lawrence hit the portal, Brooks and his staff knew what she could bring.
“They communicated very early that I need to be a leader for this team,” Lawrence said. “Just because of how long I’ve been playing and my experience. And just the adversity I’ve gone through, as well, in my career. I have a lot of wisdom and knowledge about the game, so just bringing that to the team.”
Brooks has followed Obi’s game for years, having initially recruited her out of high school. So, after three seasons at Penn (the Ivy League did not conduct winter sports during the 2020-21 campaign) and a career average of 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists, he finally gets the chance to coach her.
Though Obi sustained a lower-leg injury during the offseason (and will be reevaluated again in January), she remains committed to being a leader on the roster.
“The coaching staff, they know me,” Obi said. “So they’re trying to get me to step out of my comfort zone a little bit, but (I’m) just staying true to who I am, really, and just doing the little things right. A lot of our team is young, so I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing the little things right because I know that they’re looking up to us.”
First-year Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks put All-America transfer Georgia Amoore through drills during a UK practice. UK Athletics
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