ESPN: Kentucky commit Clara Silva would be "top 10 in the recruiting rankings" if she played in US

On Sunday, head coach Kenny Brooks added another post player to the Kentucky women’s basketball roster. 6-foot-7 Portuguese center Clara Silva committed to the ‘Cats, announcing her decision on Instagram. Being an overseas player, scouting and knowledge of her game is limited.

However, our friends at ESPN were able to provide us with a quick evaluation of Silva, and the report should be music to the Big Blue Nation’s ears.

“If she was a player in the US, she’d safely land in the top 10 in the recruiting rankings,” ESPN’s Shane Laflin wrote of Silva. “She is mobile with a nice touch, smoothly moves without the ball, and has an array of footwork and finishes around the rim.”

That’s some high praise for the incoming Wildcat, to say the least.

ESPN gives an evaluation of Kentucky WBB commit Clara Silva:

"If she was a player in the US, she'd safely land in the top 10 in the recruiting rankings. She is mobile with a nice touch, smoothly moves without the ball, and has an array of footwork and finishes around the rim." pic.twitter.com/BtvEdn5cga

— Phoenix Stevens (@PStevensKSR) April 16, 2024

Last summer at the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship, Silva played in seven games for her home country of Portugal. She averaged 18.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game.

Despite that, there were some questions marks whenever it became a possibility that Silva could commit to Kentucky. No one really understood how good she was, at least not here in the States. Well, if ESPN’s input is anything, Silva could come in and be a very valuable contributor right away as a freshman in 2024-25.

Silva headlines a roster that will feature all of the size that a coach could hope for. Clara Strack, a rising sophomore who stands at 6-foot-5, is the other true center that Kenny Brooks has brought in. However, UK’s most recent commit, North Carolina transfer Teonni Key, could very well slide into that five spot as well. Then, Eastern Florida State College transfer Amelia Hassett could be a big in a small-ball lineup, though she is probably best suited to be a stretch four.

KSR’s Kentucky WBB Roster Tracker (Updated April 16):