New-look Kentucky women’s basketball team to start season in AP Top 25
READ MORE
2024-25 UK women’s basketball preview
Click below to view Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com stories previewing the UK’s women’s basketball season.
Expand All
The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will enter its inaugural season under new head coach Kenny Brooks as one of the top 25 teams in the nation.
The Wildcats were ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press preseason media poll announced Tuesday.
Kentucky, which tips off its 2024-25 season Nov. 4 against USC Upstate in the newly renovated Memorial Coliseum, replaced most of its roster this offseason.
Brooks took over for the fired Kyra Elzy last March and proceeded to add 11 new players to a UK roster that included only holdovers Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler from last season.
Brooks, who led Virginia Tech to the NCAA Final Four in 2023, has compiled a record of 517-204 across 14 seasons at James Madison and eight with the Hokies. In all those years, Brooks has had only one losing season — 13-18 in his second year at James Madison in 2003-04 — and won 20 or more games 18 times.
Last season, Virginia Tech finished 25-8 and won the ACC regular season championship before injuries derailed their postseason hopes.
Kentucky finished 12-20 last season after a 12-19 campaign the year before.
Brooks has restocked the UK roster with a collection of veteran transfers led by former Virginia Tech All-American Georgia Amoore and an infusion of talented freshmen.
Tuesday’s voting reveal marked Kentucky’s first appearance in the AP Top 25 since the final poll of the 2021-22 season, the year the Wildcats made a surprise run to the Southeastern Conference Tournament title and were ranked No. 15 in the nation.
The Wildcats were one of seven teams from the newly expanded SEC to make an appearance in the preseason poll on Tuesday, joined by defending national champion South Carolina at No. 1, along with No. 4 Texas, No. 7 LSU, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 20 Ole Miss and No. 24 Alabama.
The Big Ten and the ACC each put six teams in the Top 25, followed by the Big 12 with four and the Big East with two.
Completing the top five after South Carolina were No. 2 UConn, No. 3 Southern Cal, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 UCLA.
Louisville will enter the season ranked No. 17.
This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 12:13 PM.
