Tag: Kentucky women’s basketball

Kentucky women are ranked 16th in the new AP Top 25 Poll

Kentucky women’s basketball stays at number 16 in the AP Top 25 poll this week.

New coach Kenny Brook has Kentucky women’s basketball off to a red hot start to the season. They’re 11 – 1 and have looked impressive all year. In the coaches poll, they were ranked 16th this week, and now the AP Top 25 poll also puts them at 16th.

Kentucky won their only game this past week, a 88 – 70 victory over Western Kentucky. It wasn’t enough to move up in the poll, though, and they stay at 16. That’s good for sixth among ranked SEC teams.

Related: Six New Year’s resolutions for Kentucky basketball

Like the coaches poll, South Carolina is the highest ranked SEC team at number two. The Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, and Oklahoma Sooners are all ranked in the top ten.

Overall, eight SEC teams are ranked inside the top 25 in the AP poll. Two more received votes.

SEC play begins for Kentucky on January 2nd against Mississippi State. If they can get off to a good start in conference play, they should start to climb up the rankings.

Kentucky women close non-conference play with a win over WKU

Kentucky women’s basketball got a 88 – 70 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday.

Kentucky women’s basketball played its last non-conference game of the season on Saturday. They took on in-state opponent Western Kentucky, and like the men’s team, took down the Hilltoppers 88 – 70.

The win puts the Wildcats at 11 – 1 on the season as they prepare to head into SEC play. They’re ranked 15th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, and 16th in the AP Top 25 poll. There’s no doubt that this has been one of the best starts to a season in some time.

Related: Kentucky makes the top 15 for 2026 recruit Tay Kinney

On Saturday, Kentucky was led by Clara Strack, who continued here terrific season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Georgia Amoore also scored 21 and added 9 assists. Teonni Key and Saniah Tyler also scored in double figures with 15 and 11 respectively.

As a team, the Cats made 52% of their shots in the game, and dominated on the boards, 41- 26. It was another fantastic team performance and Kenny Brooks continues to have them looking very good.

The Wildcats begin SEC play on January 2nd against Mississippi State.

Kentucky women comeback in the second half to beat Belmont

Led by Georgia Amoore, Kentucky women’s basketball defeated Belmont on Friday.

It wasn’t easy at all, but Kentucky women’s basketball advanced their record to 10 – 1 with a win over Belmont on Friday. The Bruins gave the Cats everything they had, though, and it was a narrow win.

Belmont jumped out to an early lead, but Kentucky kept within a few points. In the second quarter, however, the margin swelled, and was six points at the half.

Related: Kentucky women move up a spot in the Coaches Poll

Kentucky quickly closed the gap in the third, and led by three going into the fourth. They would wind up winning by just six points, 84 – 78, in a game that was closer than most expected.

Georgia Amoore led Kentucky with 23 points which came mostly on her seven three-pointers. Amelia Hassett added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Dazia Lawrence had 15.

All in all, it was a tougher game than it should have been, but Kentucky still got the win. Their next matchup is with Western Kentucky on December 28th, then they’ll begin SEC play.

Kentucky women get a blowout road victory over Purdue

Kentucky women’s basketball gets blowout win over Purdue on Saturday.

The Kentucky women’s basketball team was still searching for their first true road win of the season entering Saturday. They had a neutral site win over Illinois, and loss at North Carolina previously. Kenny Brooks and his squad got it done at Purdue, however, beating the Boilermakers 82 – 52.

Purdue started hot and led after the first quarter. In the second, though, Kentucky turned it around. They led 32 – 23 at the half.

The second half saw the Wildcats pull away. They won both the third and fourth quarters by at least 10 points, and finished with a 30 point win.

Related: Kentucky beats rival Louisville behind Lamont Butler

Amelia Hassett led Kentucky with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She was 5-of-10 from three point range, and added 9 rebounds. Georgia Amoore had 21 points as well.

In total, five Wildcats were in double figures. Clara Strack had another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Dazia Lawrence and Teonni Key also had double figures with 13 and 10 respectively.

Kentucky will play Belmont in their next game. That will be on December 20th.

Kentucky women are 16th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll once again

Kentucky women’s basketball ranks 16th in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Kentucky women’s basketball was undefeated in November, but lost their first game of the season this past week to the ranked North Carolina Tarheels. They bounced back quickly, however, and blew out Queens on Monday. This led to a third straight week ranked 16th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The Wildcats are now 8 – 1 on the season, and could arguably be ranked higher, but coach Kenny Brooks has to be happy with the start the team is off to.

Related: Where Kentucky ranks in SEC basketball power rankings

The SEC is well-represented in the top 25 overall. Kentucky is the fifth highest team from the conference, which is led by South Carolina at number three. The LSU Tigers are fourth. The Texas Longhorns are also in the top ten.

Eight teams from the SEC are ranked in the coaches poll this week, with two more receiving votes.

Here is the full coaches poll top 25:

 

Rank Team Record Points
1 UCLA 9-0 767 (23)
2 UConn 8-0 751 (8)
3 South Carolina 9-1 710
4 LSU 11-0 673
5 USC 8-1 620
6 Texas 8-1 595
7 Maryland 10-0 564
8 Ohio State 8-0 556
9 Notre Dame 7-2 546
10 Duke 9-2 483
11 Oklahoma 8-1 476
12 Kansas State 10-1 415
13 West Virginia 9-1 385
14 North Carolina 9-1 369
15 TCU 9-1 365
16 Kentucky 8-1 246
17 Iowa State 8-2 220
18 Tennessee 7-0 201
19 Michigan State 9-0 182
20 North Carolina State 6-3 161
21 Baylor 9-2 135
22 Alabama 9-1 115
22 Ole Miss 6-3 113
24 Iowa 8-1 93
25 Illinois 7-2 71

Kentucky women blowout Queens in a return to form

Kentucky women’s basketball got a blowout victory over Queens on Monday night.

The Kentucky women’s basketball team lost to North Carolina in their last outing, and didn’t look like the same team from November. The Tarheels dominated the matchup from start to finish, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the year.

On Monday night, Kentucky faced Queens University in a game that was expected to be one-sided, and it turned out that way. The Cats led 52 – 18 at the half, and coasted in the second half to a 87 – 45 victory.

Related: Kentucky gets a huge victory over Gonzaga on Saturday

Georgia Amoore led the way for Kentucky, with 20 points and 4 assists. Emerging star Clara Strack added 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Amelia Hassett posted 19 points. Teonni Key had a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Up next for Kentucky is the Purdue Boilermakers out of the Big Ten. They are 5 – 4 this season and coming off a loss to Maryland.

The Wildcats are now 8 – 1 on the season, and hopefully are back on track after a bounce back victory.

Kentucky women drop their first game to North Carolina

Kentucky women’s basketball fell to North Carolina 72 – 53 on Thursday night.

It’s early in December, but it hasn’t been kind to Kentucky sports. On Tuesday, Mark Pope and the men’s basketball team lost their first game to the Clemson Tigers. On Thursday, the Kentucky women’s basketball team lost their first as well, to the North Carolina Tarheels.

Kentucky fell behind early, as they struggled from the floor, and trailed 36 – 25 at halftime. The Cats were strong in the third quarter, but the Tarheels pulled away in the fourth for a 72 – 53 victory.

Related: Kentucky women still 16th in coaches poll

Like the men’s team in their loss, the Wildcats shot poorly in the loss, making just 35% of their shots, and 7-of-24 from three-point range. North Carolina was nearly 50% from the floor.

Dazia Lawrence led Kentucky with 17 points and Georgia Amoore had 10 points and 8 assists. Clara Strack, however, was held in check and had just four points and four rebounds.

The Cats next game comes on December ninth and is against Queens. They’ll look to bounce back from a tough loss on Thursday.

Kentucky women remain 16th in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Kentucky women’s basketball remains 16th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Kentucky women’s basketball got two wins this past week at the Music City Classic, first against Arizona State, then against a ranked Illinois team. However, in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, they remain at number 16.

The Wildcats are 7 – 0 under new coach Kenny Brooks, so perhaps they should be higher in the rankings. However, after a couple of tough seasons in Lexington, being undefeated and ranked is great for the program.

Related: Clara Strack is a rising star in college basketball

Kentucky is the fifth highest ranked team in the coaches poll out of the SEC. The Texas Longhorns are the highest at number three, followed by South Carolina at four and the LSU Tigers at number five. Seven SEC teams are ranked overall.

On December fifth, the Cats face the 15th ranked North Carolina Tarheels in what will be a huge test for Kentucky. Brooks has the team off to a hot start, and will try to keep it going in December.

Kentucky center Clara Strack is one of the game’s rising stars

Kentucky center Clara Strack has been a star for the Wildcats so far this season.

When Kenny Brooks was hired as the new head coach of Kentucky women’s basketball, one of his first moves was to bring over a couple of his former players at Virginia Tech. Star point guard Georgia Amoore was the headliner, but Clara Strack decided to join her former coach as well.

Strack was a top 100 recruit, and rated four stars out of high schools. She chose Virginia Tech and Coach Brooks.

As a Freshman, Strack didn’t start, but did show flashes of what she could do. She averaged 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and more than a block per game during the regular season.

Related: Kentucky prepares to face tough December schedule

Forced into a starting role for the NCAA Tournament, she showed her potential, averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the two postseason games.

This season, she earned the starting center job for the Wildcats, and has been terrific to say the least. Through seven games, she is averaging 18 points, 11, rebounds, 4 assists, and nearly 3 blocks per game.

She has recorded a double-double four times, and has scored 20 points or more three times, including the two games that earned her the MVP award at the Music City Classic.

Strack has been a huge part of a Wildcats defense that is one of the nation’s best, and her offensive game has developed nicely. She is one of the key’s to the team’s early success for sure and is a star in the making. By the end of the season, she could find herself named among the country’s elite.

Kentucky center Clara Strack named Music City Classic MVP

Kentucky center Clara Strack was named the Music City Classic MVP.

Clara Strack has been hooping all season. Thus far, the Kentucky women’s basketball center has averaged a double-double, putting up 18.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.

That’s momentum she carried into the Thanksgiving break, as the Wildcat big was named MVP of the Music City Classic in Nashville.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats ran through the six-team tournament, finishing 2-0. Kentucky beat Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday and wiped 19th ranked Illinois 76-53 the following day.

Related: Five things Kentucky fans should be thankful for

“You’ve gotta come play every day,” Strack said after the win against Illinois. “We knew this was going to be a really big game for us. We knew this could be another statement game for us, so I think we all just came to play.”

No individual was better than Strack, the 19-year-old transfer from Virginia Tech. The 6’5″ center averaged 24.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3 assists and two blocks per game in Nashville. She had a double-double in each game, bringing her season tally up to four in just seven contests.

Strack’s pick-and-roll teammate, senior point guard Georgia Amoore, was named to the Music City Classic All-Tournament Team as well. And like Strack, Amoore had a strong run in both games as well, averaging 14 points, 8.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per contest.