Kentucky women's hoops, after falling to the top-seeded Texas Longhorns in a blowout Sweet 16 loss this past season, are pacing to hit the SEC with a vengeance. Leading a group of varied playmakers that Kenny Brooks has brought together for his third season is the ever-reliable Clara Strack.
Strack's meteoric rise since arriving in Lexington should only continue entering her senior season, and ahead of that debut in the fall, Coach Brooks gave the Big Blue Nation an inside look at her development on BBN Tonight.
In short, humorous terms, he taught Strack everything she knows... no, really.
The Strack Attack is back and better!
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) July 2, 2026
"They've been my moves that I've taught her that she's learned and perfected. Almost memorized. Now what you're seeing her do is take that and add her own spin to it. Now everything is hers."
Scary hours for those in Clara Strack's way😼 pic.twitter.com/ZRmEXxnjQN
"The biggest way I can tell you about her [Strack] progression is she and I work out all the time," Brooks began. "What you've seen Clara do for a while now, they've been my moves that I've taught her."
Although, what Brooks was able to give Strack is only a portion of her game at this later developmental stage; he only laid the groundwork for a player who has become one of the most daunting centers in the conference.
"Now, what you're seeing her do is take that and add her own spin to it..." he continued. "What she's been able to do the last week, it's just blown me away." Strack, arriving a little early for summer activities, has already begun the grind ahead of tipoff at Memorial Coliseum in the fall.
The Early Cat Gets the Ball
That can't be a surprise, as it'd take nothing short of a miraculous work ethic to jump from 4.5 points per game as a freshman to 16.9 as a junior. Strack's accompanying 10.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks tell the rest of a story that's still being written.
While, with a better roster around her than last season (by the looks of things), Strack shouldn't have to carry as much weight as she did last year, I'm not sure it'll be easy convincing her to leave her post in the paint.
After all, this is a Kentucky team trending in the upward direction, in part, because of her consistent, team-leading efforts. Now more than ever, another improvement in her fourth year could set Strack apart in a conference that often breaks good teams and makes great ones.
Specific revenge against the Longhorns is one thing, but in the bigger picture, a Kenny Brooks squad in Lexington has never been more suited to make a real run at a conference title, if not more. Clara Strack has been and will continue to be at the forefront of that momentous movement.
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