Kentucky women's basketball season over, but Kenny Brooks has Cats set up for success

LEXINGTON — Kenny Brooks has ignited change and created a winning culture wherever he's been, from James Madison to Virginia Tech, and he did the same with Kentucky basketball in Year 1.

Brooks brought in 11 new players and 11 new coaches/staff members and led the Wildcats to a 23-8 record.

He was also named The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, leading the Cats to their first 20-win season since 2019-2020.

Exceeded expectations

With a new coach and practically entirely new roster, Kentucky was picked to finish eighth in the highly touted SEC in the preseason media poll.

The Wildcats started conference play with a 91-point performance against Mississippi State.

They erupted for a program-record 18 3-pointers in the victory.

UK followed that up with another victory, defeating Vanderbilt 96-78. It was the first time the Wildcats scored at least 91 points in back-to-back SEC games.

They started conference play 5-0 and won by at least 14 points.

The Cats finished with an 11-5 conference record, an eight-win improvement from last season. Brooks set a program record for most conference wins by a first-year head coach.

The Wildcats finished fourth in the SEC and earned a double bye in the SEC Tournament.

Filling stands at home

It cost $82 million to renovate Memorial Coliseum, and Brooks' Wildcats made sure that was money well-spent.

In the Cats' first game this season at Memorial Coliseum, they defeated South Carolina Upstate, 98-43, which marked the second-largest victory in a season opener in program history. The 55-point win marked the largest margin of victory in a coach's debut in school history.

Kentucky sold out four games this season, including its last three home games. For the first time in program history, they sold out reserved seating for the season.

In home games, the Cats averaged 78.2 points and shot 45.8% from the field. One defense, they held their opponents to 59.2 points per game and 34.4% shooting.

The Wildcats finished 15-3 at home in 2024-25.

Getting it done in the paint

Kentucky Wildcats center Clara Strack (13) goes for a layup against Louisville Cardinals forward Olivia Cochran (44) during their game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky.

This Kentucky team was the tallest roster Brooks has coached in 23 seasons.

Eight Wildcats are 6-foot-1 or taller, and freshman center Clara Silva is 6-7, which ties her with former Wildcat Anna Cole as the tallest player in program history.

The Wildcats were the only team in the country with at least three players averaging eight or more rebounds per game: Clara Strack (9.7), Teonni Key (8.1) and Amelia Hassett (8).

“I think it’s really neat. We were starting to call them the triplets, those three, because they can get into a situation where they can switch, when they’re involved in anything," Brooks said after the Wildcats' win against Western Kentucky. "Those three have formed a bond where they can be so versatile and do a lot of different things that help us out.”

Strack had a dominant season. She earned All-SEC honors and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 15.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

She also set a program high for blocks in a game (8) and set the single-season record (70).

Kentucky led the nation in blocks per game (6.9). The team high was 16 blocks against Northern Kentucky.

This story will be updated.

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Kenny Brooks set up Cats for sustained success

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