‘Thankful for my time as a Wildcat.’ Another UK women’s player enters the transfer portal
One of the last remaining ties to the Kyra Elzy era of Kentucky women’s basketball has entered the transfer portal.
Junior guard Saniah Tyler announced via social media on Tuesday that she is looking for a new home after three seasons with the Wildcats.
“After much thought and prayer, I have decided to enter the transfer portal to explore new opportunities for my future. This decision was not an easy one, as Kentucky has become a home to me in so many ways.
“To my coaches — thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this program. The lessons you’ve taught me, both on and off the court, have helped shape me into the person I am today, and I will carry them with me wherever I go.
“To my teammates — words cannot express how much you all mean to me. This year has been so unbelievably special, and it’s because of each and every one of you. The bonds we’ve created, the battles we’ve fought together, and the memories we’ve made will stay with me forever.
“And to Big Blue Nation — your unwavering support has meant the world to me. The love and encouragement you’ve shown me throughout my journey here is something I will always be grateful for.
“Kentucky will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will forever be thankful for my time as a Wildcat. Thank you for everything! With love and gratitude, ST.”
A former four-star prospect in the high school class of 2022, Tyler was a three-time Missouri state champion with regular power Incarnate Word Academy before choosing UK over Arizona State and Tennessee. As a freshman, Tyler logged just 25 total minutes of playing time, but her responsibility and production skyrocketed as a sophomore. Elzy spoke regularly of Tyler’s commitment to regaining her confidence during the 2023-24 season, in which the guard averaged 10.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game, and made 12 starts.
Nine players transferred after Elzy’s departure, but Tyler and fellow junior Cassidy Rowe decided to stay when Kentucky hired Kenny Brooks to replace her.
This season, Tyler averaged 2.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.3 steals in 12.3 minutes per game.
After two years with a combined record of 24-39 (6-26 SEC), Tyler’s hard work was rewarded with a trip to the NCAA Tournament, something she’d hoped for since first committing to UK.
“This is every kid’s dream,” Tyler said. “Making the NCAA Tournament. Not only making it, but making it far. So I’m excited about what this team is capable of doing. ... The fans behind us, you know, home court advantage. We’ve got our fans, we’re used to the rims, so it should be some good shooting going on over here.”
Kentucky defeated Liberty on Friday in Memorial Coliseum but was eliminated from the tournament in the second round on Sunday by Kansas State in overtime.
This season, as Kenny Brooks navigated the changes of the coaching transition and dealt with lineup reworkings following the offseason injuries sustained by projected contributors Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurová, Tyler’s minutes decreased significantly, as she played in just seven of UK’s first 11 games for minimal time. However, in the team’s 88-70 victory over Western Kentucky on Dec. 28, Tyler posted a season-high 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting in 16 minutes of playing time.
Following the win over the Hilltoppers, Brooks spoke to the similarities between Tyler’s playing career and his own; as a guard at James Madison, Brooks endured the challenges of a coaching change when the late Lefty Driesell took over following the firing of the coach he’d committed to and played under.
“You go into your third year and you feel like you know a lot of what’s going on,” Brooks said. “Then all of a sudden, here comes a new coach who has a totally different system, totally different style, totally different everything. And it’s taken her a little while to understand what it is that I wanted, and we had a heart-to-heart. And I told her, I said, ‘You need to do all the little things. You need to play good defense. You need to come out there and give us things we don’t have.’”
Tyler’s minutes increased in the second half of the season as Brooks and his staff used Tyler as necessary off-ball relief. She played in each of the Wildcats’ remaining regular-season contests, and clocked double-digit minutes in all but the Jan. 5 victory at Vanderbilt and the Feb. 16 win over Georgia.
In the postseason, Tyler logged two minutes against Oklahoma in the team’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals loss, 15 minutes against Liberty in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and only eight minutes in the team’s season-ending overtime loss to Kansas State.
After the loss, Tyler said she spent her junior season embracing her role, and preparing for the moment, whenever her number was called. She also expressed gratitude toward Big Blue Nation, who came out in droves to support the Wildcats for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2022.
“It was very warming to see,” Tyler said. “Because last year we didn’t have that many people in the stands. So just seeing the stands filled with blue and white, it just means a lot. ... I’ve never gotten a chance to be a part of something this big. So it was just a good feeling.”
Tyler is the second member of Brooks’ inaugural Kentucky roster to reportedly enter the transfer portal. Freshman center Clara Silva was reported to have entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning with a “do not contact” tag.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM.
