Four ex-Cats are now elsewhere in SEC women’s basketball. Here’s how they’re doing.
Not only was Wednesday’s SEC Women’s Basketball Media Day a closer look at Kenny Brooks’ first season at the helm in Lexington, but it also granted the opportunity to check in on former Wildcats who have since found new homes around the conference.
Former players Tionna Herron, Nyah Leveretter and Eniya Russell will all don new league uniforms this season and face Kentucky as they each enter new chapters of their respective basketball careers. Also, former Kentucky All-American Rhyne Howard, who surprised many members of Big Blue Nation when she joined the Florida Gators’ coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 season, returns to Gainesville in her assistant coaching role this year.
We asked these ex-Cats’ new coaches — and, when possible, teammates — how Herron, Leveretter, Russell and Howard were coming along in their roles. Here’s what they said.
Tionna Herron
Redshirt sophomore center (Missouri)
A former four-star recruit in the class of 2022, Herron signed with Kentucky out of high school as the No. 69 prospect in her class. Touted for her height, length and successful high school career — Herron was a two-time state champion with Texas power DeSoto — expectations were high for the incoming Wildcat.
Herron was awarded a medical redshirt after needing to undergo open heart surgery ahead of her freshman season. She later elected to transfer to Texas — much closer to home — for her sophomore year. With the Longhorns, she received minutes in 11 games last season, and announced her transfer to join Robin Pingeton at Missouri for the 2024-25 campaign.
“’Tree’ has had a tough journey,” Pingeton said. “Obviously a really talented high school player. When she got to Kentucky, had some heart issues. Had surgery. Didn’t allow her to really get back into the swing of things at Kentucky. Transferred to Texas. I think that year for her was the year of great growth, but also just challenging, trying to get her feet wet again and get acclimated to the game. It’s hard to sit out for a year.”
Though Herron has been working hard to return to her high level of play, Pingeton said she’s “excited about the growth that I’ve seen (in Herron) in three or four short months.”
“She’s been a great addition,” Pingeton said. “She’s got size, good athleticism. I’ve been pleased with the growth that we’ve seen in her game since she’s been on campus, coming in in June. One of our big focuses was to try to get her in better physical shape. She’s worked really hard at that. She’s got good touch around the rim. I think she can make a difference on the defensive end, alter shots defensively. Been impressed with her footwork.”
Rhyne Howard
Assistant coach and director of player personnel (Florida)
One of the most decorated and beloved Wildcats in program history, Howard became the first Kentucky women’s basketball player selected first in the WNBA draft after she graduated in 2022. She was named 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year following a breakout season with the Atlanta Dream.
Since moving to the professional ranks, Howard has become a multi-WNBA All-Star selection, scored more than 1,700 career points and even won a bronze medal this summer as a member of Team USA’s 3-on-3 basketball squad. In her third season with the Dream this year, Howard averaged 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Dream finished 15-25 and fell in the first round of the playoffs to the top-seeded New York Liberty.
Howard joined Kelly Rae Finley’s staff at Florida (her mom’s alma mater) ahead of the 2023-24 season, and returns this year in her role as an assistant coach and director of player personnel. When asked about Howard’s strengths and development as a coach, Finley complimented her growth since taking on the role.
“She’s a tremendous young coach,” Finley said. “She’s going to be elite in our game for a very long time, if that’s what she chooses to do. Having somebody like her around our student-athletes that is currently living their dreams is just such a valuable asset to our coaching staff. In terms of her development, she’s always been a little on the quieter side. She’s really growing into her voice, her leadership, finding solutions. She’s obviously a brilliant basketball player. Her ability to both jump in and do scouts and things of that nature, do a little bit of recruiting here and there, it’s been very, very fun to watch her development as a coach.”
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Nyah Leveretter
Graduate forward (Georgia)
The only Wildcat to play her entire undergraduate career under former head coach Kyra Elzy, Leveretter’s leadership was always key to her role at UK, where she was a multi-year member of the Academic Honor Roll and the SEC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Council.
Rated the No. 83 prospect in the class of 2020, Leveretter averaged 2.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in three seasons with the Wildcats; she was a key piece of Elzy’s post depth during her junior season, making 21 starts in 26 games, before tearing her ACL against Vanderbilt near the end of regular season conference play. Instead of returning to the court her senior year, Leveretter spent the 2023-24 season rehabbing from the injury and embracing a new perspective on leadership from the sideline. She announced her decision to transfer to Georgia and play under Katie Abrahamson-Henderson after graduation.
“Nyah is from Kentucky, knew her obviously when we played against her,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “... Great experience, has played in the SEC, knows the SEC. Had a great coach at Kentucky. We needed another post player on the floor. She’s bringing all kind of the same things that (fellow transfer Roxane Makolo) is bringing. The basketball IQ is really big. When you have four freshmen coming in, you need a lot of people that have a lot of really good basketball IQ, a lot of positive energy and great leadership. “
Georgia senior guard Asia Avinger spoke highly of Leveretter’s addition to the roster, and emphasized her mindset toward basketball.
“She’s been a great help,” Avinger said. “I mean, just with her attitude, the way she approaches the game. You should definitely be seeing some big things from her soon.”
Fellow transfer Roxane Makolo, a fifth-year guard from Southern California, spoke to Leveretter’s character and work ethic.
“Nyah has been a great teammate,” Makolo said. “She’s improved. Really efficient. Works hard. Working on improving her range, but she’s been amazing in terms of talking, helping other teammates out and just working hard, in general.”
Eniya Russell
Graduate guard/forward (Mississippi State)
During Russell’s senior season with the Wildcats, she was often their strongest performer off the bench. In fact, it was Russell’s best individual season to date, statistically, and the most playing time (20.7 minutes) averaged in her career, both in her two seasons at UK and in her first two at South Carolina.
Though she had several shining moments in 2023-24, fans may best remember her 15-7-3-3 performance in Starkville to help UK to a fourth quarter comeback over the Bulldogs on Feb. 22. Sam Purcell may remember it best of all and, once Russell entered the portal, he was determined to sign her.
“First and foremost, she’s a winner, all right?” Purcell said. “You look at her time at South Carolina, she won a national championship. Obviously, last year I got the bad, I joke with her. She averaged, I think, 14 points a game against me. So I said, ‘I’ll take you in the portal. I need you to bring all 14 of those points and then some more along with that. But when I look at my 20 years of being in this business, and you’re talking about a long, lanky athlete, which I call ‘ooh-wee’ capability and ‘ooh-wee’ moments, Eniya Russell, she’s that kid. So for us to be able to coach her in one year, we won the lottery, I’m excited of what she can do this year and finish her college career.”
Since arriving on campus, Russell’s effort and talent have stood out to her teammates. When asked about what she’s seen from Russell, Mississippi State junior guard/forward Debreasha Powe highlighted the importance of Russell’s SEC experience, and said, Russell has looked “amazing.”
“I love Eniya, she’s great,” Powe said. “You know she has experience in the SEC, and so to have that on the court — with her being a fifth-year now, we see it on the court. We see how she goes, she knows the game and she plays really hard. She’s gonna be really amazing. She’s been a great piece to our team.”
Mississippi State graduate guard Jerkaila Jordan spoke to how Russell adds another dimension to the team’s offense, and echoed Powe’s faith in Russell’s potential this season.
“Oh man, Eniya’s a dawg,” Jordan said. “I’m glad she’s on our team. She’s a great leader, she’s unstoppable, she can get to the rim quick. I feel like she’s another threat on the court that can help us expand the court. I’m looking forward to what she has this year, she has a great thing in store. I’m excited for her, and I’m glad she’s a Bulldog.”
