A look at Kentucky WBB's updated 2024-25 roster, featuring five new transfers

It’s been a crazy offseason for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs here at Kentucky. Now, it’s starting to look like things are ramping up for the ladies. As a new head coach making waves in a previously lackluster program, Kenny Brooks clearly had his work cut out for him.

However, Brooks didn’t come to Kentucky expecting a program already built for him. Instead, he knew that he’d need to conduct a complete rebuild of Kentucky Women’s Basketball.

It’s been less than a month since the former Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball coach was hired for the challenge, and he’s already created a (still incomplete) roster to be scared of.

A duo loyal to Kentucky

Out of the 10 players on Kentucky WBB’s roster at the end of the 2023-24 season, only two stuck around. A duo with an average height of 5-foot-5 and a half: Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler. The rising juniors were going to stick around from the beginning, said a source close to the program. They’re proud to wear “Kentucky” across their chests, and nothing is going to change that.

Rowe, who played in 31 games (only sitting out for a broken nose) accrued 16 starts and averaged 2.6 points per game. While the Virgie, Kentucky native isn’t known for point production, she played a crucial role for the ‘Cats on defense. At the end of the season, Rowe led her team in charges taken, with a whopping total of 25. If there’s anything to highlight about her, it’s her no fear, no quit, pure grit.

While Tyler’s start to the season was underwhelming, the guard quickly turned things around for the better. She finished the season averaging 10.2 points across 32 games, and accrued 13 starts. Tyler added 17 double-digit games with a career-high of 22 points against Lipscomb and Mississippi State. Tyler proved herself to be an essential shooter for the team, given that she made 61 three-pointers in the 2023-24 season.

The newcomers

With seven new players currently locked in, Kentucky WBB is starting to take shape. Thanks to some loyal players from Virginia Tech, it doesn’t look like Brooks is going to have to do much recruiting, though he hasn’t slowed down on that front either. As it stands, Georgia Amoore and Clara Strack are the only two transfers from Tech, but Brooks has also brought over a pair of incoming freshmen: Lexi Blue and Clara Silva.

Blue, a four-star recruit from Florida, flipped to Kentucky after originally being recruited to Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-2 guard is No. 38 in the national rankings by ESPN. Silva’s recruitment came a little later; on April 14, when she announced her flip to the ‘Cats. Silva, the 6-foot-6 Portugal native, isn’t ranked by any recruiting outlets. ESPN’s Shane Laflin, however, noted that Silva would be considered a top-10 prospect if she had played in the United States. The forward averaged 18.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game in her performance in the European U18 Championships.

Brooks also recruited junior Amelia Hassett, a JUCO transfer from Eastern Florida State. The Australian native was originally committed to Virginia Tech but switched to Kentucky to follow her future coach. Also joining Kentucky’s roster is Tanah Becker, a top Canadian prospect who originally committed to former head coach Kyra Elzy back in March.

Finally, Brooks added junior UNC transfer Teonni Key to the roster. The 6-foot-4 forward was a top-10 prospect coming out of high school in the 2021 class but has been battling injury for the past couple of years. Key averaged 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game across her two seasons as a Tar Heel. While her stats aren’t the most outstanding, Brooks clearly sees a spark in Key.

In total, there are nine confirmed players on Kentucky’s roster, although we can expect Brooks’ daughter, Gabby Brooks, to be joining the team soon enough. After a whirlwind of an offseason, Kentucky’s roster is really starting to take shape. Five of Brooks’ six recruits are over six feet tall, with the exception being Georgia Amoore. The All-American guard is the No. 1 player in the transfer portal rankings according to ESPN. The height of this team alone is enough to differentiate the new era from the old.

With a well-rounded roster of shooters, defenders, and paint dominators, Kentucky Women’s Basketball is in pretty good shape. Going into the 2024-25 season, there’s a lot to look forward to. Kenny Brooks is giving Kentucky fans a season to remember.