Kentucky women’s basketball one of eight SEC programs in preseason AP Top 25
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- Kentucky debuts at No. 24 in AP preseason poll, marking back-to-back top-25 placements.
- Coach Kenny Brooks keeps three starters, adds transfers and two 2025 recruits.
- SEC places eight teams in preseason top 25; UConn opens No. 1 and national favorite.
The Kentucky women’s basketball team is ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the second consecutive season.
The Wildcats begin the campaign at No. 24 and are tied with poll first-timer Richmond. Last year, ahead of head coach Kenny Brooks’ first season in Lexington, UK checked in at No. 22 in the preseason poll.
The Wildcats are among eight SEC programs in the preseason Top 25, along with No. 2 South Carolina (the 2025 national runner-up), No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 19 Vanderbilt.
The top four teams reached last season’s NCAA Final Four, including defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Connecticut. It’s the 13th time UConn is atop the preseason poll.
Other programs in the preseason top 10 are No. 3 UCLA, No. 7 Duke, No. 9 North Carolina State and No. 10 Maryland.
Kentucky returns three of five starters from last season, including the Southeastern Conference’s reigning defensive player of the year in Clara Strack. She was named to the media’s preseason All-SEC second team earlier this week. The Wildcats were picked to finish eighth by the league’s media.
Senior forwards Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett are the Wildcats’ other returning starters, and UK’s roster also receives a boost from guards Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurová, both of whom transferred in ahead of last season but sat out due to injuries. Sophomore guard Lexi Blue, a former top-40 prospect, and junior guard Gabby Brooks also return.
Kentucky added a trio of transfer guards in Asia Boone (Liberty), Josie Gilvin (Western Kentucky) and Tonie Morgan (Georgia Tech), and a pair of freshmen in five-star forward Kaelyn Carroll (No. 18 in 2025) and 6-foot-5 international center Elsa Vadfors.
CAROLINE MAKAUSKAS’ AP TOP 25 BALLOT
1. CONNECTICUT
As good as I expect each of the 2025 Final Four programs to be this season — and despite the graduation of UConn great Paige Bueckers — it was an easy decision to put the Huskies as my preseason No. 1. When it came to submitting my five-player ballot for the AP preseason All-America team, I included not one but two dominant forces in Storrs: returning star Azzi Fudd and sophomore dynamo Sarah Strong.
The Huskies also snagged forward Serah Williams out of the transfer portal from Wisconsin. She was, in my mind, the clear top frontcourt player in the portal. Not only is UConn a preseason No. 1, I wouldn’t be surprised if Geno Auriemma won his first back-to-back national titles since 2013-16.
2. SOUTH CAROLINA
Unfortunately, forward Chloe Kitts is out for the season due to a torn ACL. Though South Carolina was already playing without Ashlyn Watkins, who is taking a year away from basketball, I still think the Gamecocks will be formidable. There’s no better time for a leveling up from sophomore Joyce Edwards or senior Maryam Dauda, and Dawn Staley’s squads always have an impressive amount of depth.
Not to mention, offensive wizard Ta’Niya Latson joins the Gamecocks after a few high-scoring seasons at Florida State, and any team featuring returning guard Raven Johnson is a team well-led.
3. UCLA
It was quite surprising to many, including myself, when every member of UCLA’s star-studded 2024 recruiting class — plus key depth piece Janiah Barker (Tennessee) — hit the transfer portal after last season’s Final Four run, but it’s tough to look at who the Bruins do return and expect them to fall too far from last year’s highs. The predicted 2026 WNBA draft top-two pick, center Lauren Betts, is back and ready for more, as are experienced veterans Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalić and Timea Gardiner.
UCLA is also finally getting to see graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, the most accomplished player in the history of Washington State women’s basketball. She transferred to UCLA ahead of last season but was unable to play due to injury. Cori Close also added Sienna Betts, the No. 2 player in the class of 2025 and the younger sister of Lauren Betts, plus former Utah sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, to round out another loaded roster.
4. MARYLAND
It’s always difficult for me to bet against Brenda Frese, but there’s plenty to love about this year’s Maryland team. Frese brought in No. 34 overall prospect Rainey Welson, but she also added former Indiana wing Yarden Garzon and former Duke guard Oluchi Okananwa (the 2024 ACC sixth player of the year) from the transfer portal. The team also returns Kaylene Smikle, who led the Terps last year in points and steals, plus guards Bri McDaniel and Saylor Poffenbarger.
5. DUKE
As evidenced by Kara Lawson’s selection as Team USA’s women’s national team head coach, she’s one of the best minds in the game — Lawson is an expert recruiter and Xs and Os coach, and Duke has only been on an upward trajectory since her hiring in 2020. The Blue Devils’ “sisterhood,” as the program calls it, is made up of names like Jadyn Donovan, Taina Mair and Toby Fournier, the latter of whom I expect to continue to wow all season after a breakout freshman year. The Blue Devils also added top-five prospect Emilee Skinner and transfer Hailey Johnson (Pepperdine).
The rest of Caroline Makauskas’ preseason top 25 ballot: No. 6 Texas, No. 7 North Carolina State, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 LSU, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 13 Iowa State, No. 14 Baylor, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 TCU, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 18 Kentucky, No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Vanderbilt, No. 21 Southern California, No. 22 Oklahoma State, No. 23 Washington, No. 24 Louisville, No. 25 Princeton.
