Nine Kentucky women’s players transferred after last season. Here’s how they’re doing now.
To say Kentucky women’s basketball looks drastically different now from last year’s team would be an understatement.
A monumental coaching change, several transfers out and 11 new players have transformed the Wildcats into a (likely) top-16 overall seed in the fast-approaching NCAA Tournament, as Kenny Brooks seeks to lift the program to unprecedented highs.
It’s interesting to consider all that went into the seismic shift that’s returned Kentucky to the national spotlight, but what about those who parted ways with UK upon the conclusion of the Kyra Elzy era?
Here’s a list of last year’s coaches, players and team staff who’ve found new opportunities elsewhere around Division I women’s college basketball.
Players
Ajae Petty: No Wildcat made more progress between Elzy’s final two seasons than Petty, who transferred to Kentucky in 2022 after two seasons with LSU. Following a junior season averaging just 15.1 minutes per game and zero starts, Petty catapulted to become the Wildcats’ leading scorer. Last year, Petty averaged a double-double of 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, plus 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks while starting in each of the Wildcats’ 32 games.
Upon Elzy’s firing, Petty was the first starter to announce her entry to the transfer portal. She graduated and later signed with Kevin McGuff and the Ohio State Buckeyes, for whom Petty has started in all 31 games played this season. The DMV native is averaging 9.4 points, 1.7 assists and a team-high 7.3 rebounds for the Big Ten’s third-place team, and delivered a season-best performance of 23 points on a perfect 11-for-11 shooting, 15 rebounds, six assists and two steals against then-No. 23 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes (25-6) are projected to be a No. 4 seed in the latest Bracketology.
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Eniya Russell: Another DMV native-turned-SEC transfer, Russell began her college career at South Carolina after graduating a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 43 overall prospect in the class of 2020. Russell did win a national championship with the Gamecocks in 2022, but never averaged more than 7.7 minutes per contest in either of her two seasons. As a junior at UK, her production remained minimal, but grew to average double-figure scoring in 20.7 minutes per game during her senior season.
Upon Elzy’s departure, Russell graduated from Kentucky and chose to spend her final season of eligibility at Mississippi State. Through 32 games with the Bulldogs, Russell is averaging 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 3.5 assists in 26.5 minutes per game and has made 21 starts.
The Bulldogs (21-11) are projected to be a No. 9 seed in the latest Bracketology.
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Maddie Scherr: The 2020 Miss Kentucky Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American, Ryle High School product Scherr was the state’s highest-ranking recruit (No. 19 overall) since Elizabethtown’s Erin Boley (No. 5 overall) in 2016. After two seasons with Oregon, Scherr transferred back home to UK, where she started in each of her 55 contests played. Despite dealing with migraines, Scherr averaged a career-high 12.5 points, plus 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 33.1 minutes per game.
Scherr graduated from Kentucky, but did not publicly address her entry to the transfer portal until the week she announced her commitment to play for Mark Campbell at TCU, and has not yet suited up for the Horned Frogs; in early December, the program issued a release stating that Scherr would be taking a medical redshirt this season due to a back injury, and that she intends to return for the 2025-26 campaign.
The Horned Frogs (31-3) successfully captured both the Big 12 regular season conference tournament championships, and are projected to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Brooklynn Miles: The 2021 Miss Kentucky Basketball and a beloved staple for the Franklin County Flyers, Miles began her career at Tennessee. After clocking a solid 19.6 minutes per contest in her first season on campus, Miles’ production decreased drastically, and, after back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, the Kentucky native transferred to UK.
Last season with the Wildcats, Miles averaged 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.8 minutes in 32 games, and made 27 starts. In the wake of Elzy’s exit, Miles graduated from UK and entered the portal again, this time landing at Pittsburgh.
With the Panthers (13-19) this season, Miles contributed similar statistics; the senior guard recorded 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, a career-high 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.9 minutes across 32 games played, and made 27 starts. Pitt’s season ended with a first-round exit in the ACC Tournament after a loss to Virginia.
Amiya Jenkins: Jenkins, the 2022 Miss Kentucky Basketball, signed with UK out of Anderson County High School as the No. 94 overall prospect in her class. She didn’t play much her freshman campaign, but started 17 out of 26 games played last season as a sophomore, and averaged 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per contest.
After Elzy’s firing, Jenkins also made her way to Pitt. She averaged 9.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 17.3 minutes across three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in November.
Nyah Leveretter: Leveretter, a member of the 2022 SEC Tournament champion team and the primary post option during the 2022-23 campaign, was a decorated leader during Elzy’s tenure. As a junior, Leveretter averaged 2.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 20.0 minutes per game; she made 21 starts in 26 appearances before sustaining an ACL tear late in the regular season, and spent last season recovering from the injury.
After graduating from UK, Leveretter announced her transfer to Georgia. This season with the Bulldogs, she averaged 0.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.3 minutes in 10 games. Georgia finished the year 13-19 (4-12 SEC).
Zennia Thomas: The final signee of Elzy’s 2022 recruiting class, Thomas averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in 4.5 minutes across 10 appearances for the Wildcats as a freshman. Primed for a larger role during her sophomore campaign, Thomas was suspended indefinitely seven games into last season for “a disciplinary matter.” Thomas’ status was never reinstated within the program, and Elzy announced the sophomore’s dismissal from the team in January 2024.
“We hold our players to a high standard at Kentucky,” Elzy said. “Unfortunately, when someone does not consistently meet those standards, I have to make the tough decision to dismiss them from the program. We wish Zennia and her family nothing but the best moving forward.”
Thomas entered the transfer portal at the end of the Wildcats’ season, and transferred to play for Howard in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Bison are 19-10 (12-2 MEAC), finishing second in the league, and were to face Delaware State in the MEAC Tournament on Wednesday.
Janaé Walker: A late addition to Kentucky’s recruiting class of 2023, Walker switched her commitment from Gardner-Webb to UK after a coaching change. She played in 28 games and made one start as a freshman; Walker averaged 0.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.
Walker transferred to Rutgers during the offseason, and played in 27 games this year. She averaged 0.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.2 steals in 8.6 minutes per game, and the Scarlet Knights finished 11-19.
Jordy Griggs: Griggs signed with Kentucky out of Montverde (Fla.) Academy, and played in only four games during her freshman year.
After the coaching change, Griggs signed with former Kenny Brooks assistant Shawn Poppie at Clemson for his first season. Under Poppie, the Tigers finished 14-17. Griggs did not participate in any games this season.
Coaches/staff
Kyra Elzy: In four seasons at the helm, Elzy became the first Kentucky women’s basketball coach to lead the program to the NCAA Tournament in each of their first two seasons, and led the team to its second-ever (and first since 1982) SEC Tournament championship in 2022.
The former UK assistant under Matthew Mitchell was named the interim head coach ahead of the 2020-21 season after Mitchell unexpectedly resigned in November, and Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart removed the interim tag in December 2020 after Elzy and the team opened the season with a 6-0 record and ranked within the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
However, after the graduation of top-overall WNBA draft pick Rhyne Howard and several key transfers out, UK went 6-26 in Southeastern Conference play over Elzy’s final two seasons. She finished 61-60 as the Wildcats’ head coach, and recorded an SEC regular-season record of 23-40.
Barnhart announced Elzy’s firing on the Monday following UK’s second-round exit in the 2024 SEC Tournament, and Elzy was later hired as an assistant under Kara Lawson at Duke. Elzy helped the Blue Devils finish the regular season with 23-7 (14-4 ACC) and hoist the ACC Tournament championship trophy for the first time since 2013.
Duke is expected to be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Jen Hoover: Hoover, an assistant coach under Elzy the last two seasons, was hired as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech last year after Megan Duffy was hired away from Marquette to replace Brooks.
This year, the Hokies finished the regular season 18-11 (9-9 ACC) before falling in the second round of the ACC Tournament to Georgia Tech. The Hokies are considered a bubble team, and rate as an unenviable “First Team Out” in the latest edition of ESPN’s Bracketology.
Jenny Huth: Longtime coach Huth, who spent last season under Elzy as an assistant coach and associate coach of player development, was hired by Charmin Smith at California as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for 2024-25. The Golden Bears (25-8, 12-8 ACC) are one of eight ACC programs projected to earn an at-large bid, projected as a No. 8 seed in the latest edition of ESPN’s Bracketology.
Jaamal Rhodes: Rhodes served as associate coach of player development last season under Elzy before being hired by Tamisha Augustin as an assistant coach at Hampton in April 2024.
The Pirates finished the regular season 7-22 (3-15 CAA), and were to face Stony Brook in the first round of the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament on Wednesday.
Lee Taylor: For the past three seasons, Taylor served as the head strength and conditioning coach under Elzy, and was with the team during its monumental 2022 SEC Tournament run.
A developer of 14 student-athletes-turned-pros, including two Olympic medalists, Taylor was hired as director of athletic performance for Penn State women’s basketball ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The Nittany Lions finished 10-19 (1-17 Big Ten). After six seasons at the helm and a record of 73-105 with the Nittany Lions, Carolyn Kieger is expected to return next season as the head coach, per the Centre Daily Times.
Jerod McCullen: McCullen joined Elzy’s staff last season as the coaching video coordinator. After the Kentucky coaching change, McCullen was hired as director of video and player development at Virginia Tech in May 2024.
JT Orem: From student manager to equipment graduate assistant last season, Orem — the son of former Pikeville High School athletic director and girls basketball head coach Kristy Orem — was on staff with the Wildcats from 2019-24.
Orem was hired by Shea Ralph as the Vanderbilt women’s basketball video coordinator in May 2024. The Commodores recorded their second straight 20-win season this year, finishing 21-9 (8-8 SEC) and knocking off rival Tennessee twice for the first time in program history.
Vanderbilt is projected to be a No. 7 seed in the latest edition of Bracketology.
