Kenny Brooks has quietly put together his strongest offseason yet at the helm for Kentucky women's hoops, assembling a roster that appears capable of legitimate SEC competition. Brooks was hired on the heels of his wild Final Four run with Virginia Tech, and how he's closer than ever to replicating that success in Lexington.
As fans partial to Historic Memorial Coliseum well know, at the front of those efforts is senior center Clara Strack. The Wildcats' double-double machine will lead the way for Brooks' pivotal third season and, per the team's X account, the BBN got an early look at Strack going to work.
"Rise & shine," or get left behind:
Rise & shine. ☀️ pic.twitter.com/T02xOfJ2Sv
— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) June 25, 2026
Strack moving like Dirk Nowitzki in the post is nothing new to Kentucky fans, but it's especially exciting to see her continuing to develop that part of her game ahead of what should be her best campaign yet in the blue and while.
And while Strack will continue to be Kentucky's go-to weapon, Brooks has gone out of his way to surround her with a roster that fills the remaining gaps and then some. This is, comfortably I believe, the best chance Brooks has had since that Final Four run to produce the same result.
Kenny Brooks' Nationally Competitive Kentucky Roster
That's not to say that Kentucky is gonna cake walk to a championship appearance or anything, but there's a lot to like with this group beyond Strack being a huge inherent plus.
For starters, Brooks' three McDonald's All-Americans in Saavy Swords, Emily McDonald, and Maddyn Greenway should carry a heavy bulk of the scoring load in their first season together as Wildcats. Greenway especially should be equipped to take on a sizable role, as she averaged a whopping 36.5 points and 9.4 assists per game with Providence Academy in the 2025-26 season.
Those are fightin' numbers. Absolutely lethal, and Brooks was able to put together a similarly compelling list out of the transfer portal, too.
Compelling Portal Pickups
Ayanna Patterson, Me'Arah O'Neal, and Diana Collins round out the Cats' more experienced pickups, with the former two situated with Strack in the frontcourt and Collins joining Greenway in company in the backcourt.
Patterson is a former five-star forward looking to reach her potential in Lexington, while both O'Neal and Collins contributed at their previous stops (Florida and Alabama, respectively) and are looking to up the ante in Lexington.
If O'Neal is even able to repeat her 13-point, six-board averages as a Wildcat, Kentucky will be more than happy with her time on the floor.
Fans, on the whole, should be more than happy with the group Brooks has assembled. Let's hope Clara Strack's senior leap is the last notch of improvement she needs to carry this (new and improved) Kentucky roster to the promised land.
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