3 Reasons Kentucky Women's Basketball's no. 22 preseason AP ranking is a big deal

On Tuesday, the AP preseason Top 25 poll announced that the Kentucky women's basketball team is ranked 22nd. This is a big deal for new coach Kenny Brooks and his rebuilt squad, and it matters to Big Blue Nation, too. Here is why.

1. This is the first time they are ranked in a preseason poll in three years.

The women's Wildcats haven't been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll since 2021. That season did not go well for the Lady Cats, who ended up in the middle of the SEC at 8-8 and with an overall record of 19-12. The program fell apart at that moment, and in the last two seasons, not only were they not ranked in the preseason poll, but they had losing records for both seasons.

Kenny Brooks's arrival and rebuilding of the roster have brought life into the program, and even before they tip off in their first game, there is some hype and excitement around what is happening under Brooks. On paper, it is the most talented roster we have seen in years. Now, we will want to see them turn that talent into wins, but the talent is there, which leads to point two.

2. Roster is loaded with talent.

It's not an understatement to say that this may be one of the best women's Wildcats rosters in recent years. They have a deep team with tons of scorers and not unproven bucket-getters, either. There are multiple ladies with experience and collegiate success. According to the Kentucky Wildcats Athletics department about this team, "Three players, including Amoore (1,853), Dazia Lawrence (1,170) and Jordan Obi (1,142), are 1,000-point scorers, while Amelia Hassett, who played two seasons at Eastern Florida State College and was named a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I All-American in 2023-24, is close behind with 919 career points."

The talent they added through the recruiting portal is also highly regarded. They added guard Lexi Blue, a 4-star recruit, and Clara Silva, one of the tallest players in program history at 6'7".

It's not just Silva who is tall; it's the whole team. Only four players out of 13 are less than 6'0 "tall. Three players are over 6'4", with Silva being the tallest at 6'7". This is a tall team, and that will bode well in this league.

3. The unified basketball program.

The athletics department is doing an amazing job of putting the men's and women's basketball teams in the same room and helping fans root for both programs. It hasn't always felt this way. It hasn't felt like a unified basketball program in years! I love what Phoenix Stevens of Kentucky Sports Radio said about Big Blue Madness:

To cap it off, only 12 programs have both their men's and women's basketball teams inside the top 25 to start the season. Kentucky is one of those, and the two programs acknowledged each other in that.

It's a great era to be a Kentucky basketball fan. Big Blue Nation, it's time to get excited about both men's and women's hoops again!