After losing 3 to transfer portal, UK women’s hoops gets 5th commitment in 2022 class
It has been an active couple of days for the Kentucky women’s basketball program.
On Friday morning, a trio of UK starters from last season — Dre’una Edwards, Treasure Hunt and Jazmine Massengill — all entered their names into the NCAA transfer portal.
Then on Friday night, while serving as an analyst on the SEC Network, UK head coach Kyra Elzy addressed the exodus and said she remained confident in herself as a coach and person, as well as in the coaching staff around her.
Just hours later, Elzy secured the commitment of a fifth player in the 2022 recruiting class.
On Saturday morning, combo guard Kennedy Cambridge committed to Kentucky, giving the Wildcats five incoming players in this year’s recruiting class.
Cambridge joins three other guards — Amiya Jenkins, Cassidy Jo Rowe and Saniah Tyler — as well as post player Tionna Herron, as incoming freshmen for the Cats next season.
Cambridge went to The Ensworth School, a private school located in Nashville, Tennessee, and was a finalist for Miss Basketball in Tennessee this past season.
Ensworth won its third state championship in four years in early March.
Listed at 5-foot-8, Cambridge is part of a basketball family of impressive pedigree.
Cambridge has a brother, Devan, that was a junior wing at Auburn this past season. Earlier this week, Devan entered his name into the transfer portal.
Cambridge has an older sister, Jordyn, that is a star player at Vanderbilt. Jordyn, who also went to Ensworth, just finished her senior season with the Commodores and led the Southeastern Conference this past season in steals with nearly four per game.
Cambridge also has a younger sister, Jaloni, that also plays for Ensworth and is rated as a five-star recruit in the class of 2024 by ESPN.
Cambridge announced her commitment to Kentucky on Instagram.
Cambridge unzipped her jacket to reveal a white Kentucky T-shirt when announcing her college choice
“If I’m being honest, before I got to Kentucky I was a little iffy, but then I got there and then I fell in love with Kentucky. The coaches, they’re something else, they’re very competitive in literally everything,” Cambridge said in a video posted to her Instagram page. “I like that energy. I hate to lose. So the environment is great there.”
Cambridge also spoke about her new head coach.
“Coach Elzy, she’s special. I feel like she really cares about her players. Just the first time (of) me talking to her, she cares,” Cambridge said, noting that in 2019 Elzy gave Cambridge her first SEC scholarship offer.
When asked what she can help Kentucky with on the court, Cambridge referenced her ability to play defense.
“I’m going to get after everybody out there, I don’t care who you are,” Cambridge said. “I’m going to bring an energy that Kentucky has yet to see, because I’m crazy, I’m goofy, I’m different.”
Cambridge also said that she already felt like family with two current UK players: Blair Green and Emma King.
Green was in attendance for Cambridge’s college announcement.
In an article published in early March by Main Street Preps, Cambridge said she had already committed to a college, but she refused to tell anyone.
“It’s a secret and no one can know until March 26,” Cambridge said in the article. “So, stay tuned.”
Cambridge said she would pick her college destination from a list of Auburn, Ole Miss and Kentucky.
With Cambridge now projected to be part of the 2022-23 Kentucky roster, the Cats are now expected to have 11 scholarship players for next season.
They are: Guards Cambridge, Jenkins, Rowe, Tyler, Jada Walker, Emma King, Robyn Benton and Blair Green, and post players Herron, Nyah Leveretter and Olivia Owens.
There is still the expectation that Kentucky will add a player from the transfer portal this offseason for the first time in Elzy’s head coaching tenure.
Hundreds of women’s college basketball players are currently looking for a new school.
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 3:05 PM.
