Kenny Brooks adds 6-foot-5 Swedish center to UK women’s basketball roster
Kenny Brooks and his coaching staff have gained a new international addition to Kentucky’s 2025-26 roster.
“I’m so happy to announce that I’ve committed to the University of Kentucky!” Elsa Vadfors, a 6-foot-5 Swedish center, posted on social media on Sunday evening. “Thank you Coach Brooks and the entire Kentucky coaching staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Go wildcats!”
Vadfors, who has junior national team experience with Sweden’s U18 team, most recently played professionally for Uppsala Basket in Uppsala, Sweden. During the 2024-25 season, Vadfors averaged 1.3 points on 40.7% shooting from the field, plus 2.8 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.3 steals and 1.6 personal fouls in 10.4 minutes across 20 contests.
Vadfors’ addition provides helpful depth beneath the basket to either relieve, or pair alongside junior center Clara Strack, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Though Brooks often prefers a development-focused freshman campaign, Vadfors might be used similarly to ex-Cat Clara Silva, a 6-foot-7 Portuguese center who averaged 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.5 minutes across each of the Wildcats’ 31 games last season. Silva’s surprise entrance to the transfer portal — and subsequent selection of TCU — left the Wildcats without a backup for Strack.
Though Vadfors’ commitment comes without much lead-up, Brooks told the Herald-Leader in April that he likes to keep rosters of 13 scholarship players, and that “one more post” was of high priority for next year’s roster.
“We feel like we’re in a very strong situation right now,” Brooks said at the time. “We probably need one more big, one more post. And we solidified depth at the guard spots, at the forward spots. We need, probably, one more big. Unfortunately, they are slim pickings … it’s a very hot commodity right now, and it’s a premium on the posts. But we’ve got some really good leads.”
Kentucky’s roster increases to 12 players
Vadfors is the second non-transfer commitment to join the Wildcats for the 2025-26 campaign, joining five-star wing and 2025 McDonald’s All-American Kaelyn Carroll out of Tabor Academy (Massachusetts).
The Wildcats have also signed a trio of transfer guards in senior point guard Tonie Morgan (Georgia Tech), who announced her commitment to the Wildcats on April 11; former Western Kentucky guard Josie Gilvin, who announced her commitment to UK on April 4; and former Liberty guard Asia Boone, who committed on April 10.
Seven Wildcats are set to return for next season — 6-2 guard Lexi Blue, 5-10 guard Gabby Brooks, 6-3 forward Amelia Hassett, 6-4 forward Teonni Key, 6-1 guard Jordan Obi, 6-1 guard Dominika Paurová and 6-5 center Strack.
Obi and Paurová, both of whom committed to the Wildcats ahead of last season, medically redshirted on account of lower-leg injuries sustained during the summer, but they are expected to step in to immediate impact roles next season.
