Kenny Brooks looks to help Kentucky build on a solid year 1 with great sophomore outing
The Kentucky women’s basketball team is quietly piecing together a roster and schedule that could surprise some people this season. While Memorial Coliseum gets ready to host a full slate of games, the Lady Cats are getting healthy, reloaded, and ready to compete.
The nonconference schedule features early tests against Monmouth, Buffalo, USC Upstate, and Purdue before heading to Puerto Rico for the Discover Tournament. That event will bring matchups against Maryland and Morgan State in a unique midseason trip. These kind of trips usually help develop team chemistry, and I think more teams should try them in the middle of the year if possible. The SEC/ACC Challenge will send Kentucky to Miami on Dec. 3, while home fans will enjoy a solid December slate with Central Michigan, Wright State, and Hofstra. A good run in December should help the Lady Cats transition to SEC play.
Once league play begins, it’s a gauntlet. LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, and Oklahoma all appear on the schedule, along with the usual SEC rivals. That mix of traditional powers and new conference additions means Kentucky will need depth and toughness to navigate January and February.
The biggest off-court news comes from overseas. Dazia Lawrence, a fan favorite of last year's team, signed to play professionally in Kosovo for KBF PEGA 03. On the injury front, there’s good news: Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurová are back in action.
“They’re great players… they both bring something different — pieces we didn’t have last year,” Teonni Key said. “It’s just super exciting.”
With the combination of fresh talent, healthy returners, and a schedule built to test them early, this group has the tools to surprise. If they can find chemistry before SEC play, the Lady Cats could be in position to climb the conference ladder.