She was a top-10 WNBA draft pick in 2025. Now she’s joining UK women’s basketball
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft has signed with Kentucky.
Ajša Sivka, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Slovenia with national team and professional experience, will join Kenny Brooks’ program for the 2026-27 season, UK announced Wednesday morning.
“I am delighted to welcome Ajša to our program,” Brooks said. “Her combination of size and skill will fit into our system seamlessly. Ajša is a tremendous shooter, scorer, and playmaker from the wing position, and she will add experience to our team. BBN let’s welcome Ajša to our family!”
Selected in last year’s first round by the Chicago Sky (and listed as a forward by the WNBA), Sivka opted to stay in Europe with the Slovenian National Team and play in the 2025 FIBA Women’s European Basketball Championship instead of joining the league. The Sky will retain Sivka’s rights, according to The Athletic.
Sivka was the third international prospect drafted in the 2025 WNBA draft and the first rookie selection ever made by Tyler Marsh as head coach of the Sky.
“I think this is a really intriguing young player,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said at the draft. “She’s 6-3 and long, she can play in the pick-and-pop, she has a really quick release on her 3-point shot. Catch-and-shoot-type player. You look at her and wonder, ‘Can she be the next (New York Liberty forward) Leonie Fiebich?’ Where she has the length to be able to defend on the perimeter, the skill set on the offensive end and certainly the size.”
A standout in the Slovenian system and an impressive shooter, Sivka was named the MVP of the 2023 FIBA U18 Women’s European Basketball Championship and was named to the World Select Team at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit.
Sivka has played professionally in several of Europe’s top professional leagues since 2023, when she played for Beretta Famila Schio of Italy’s Lega Basket Femminile. She also played with Tarbes Gespe Bigorre (2024-25) of France’s Ligue Féminine de Basketball and with Joventut Badalona (2025-26) of Spain’s Liga Femenina de Baloncesta. Sivka began her professional career with Konjice (2020-21) in the lower division of Slovenian club basketball.
This season with Joventut Badalona, the 20-year-old averaged 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 0.7 steals in 25.7 minutes across 29 contests.
Her signing marks the third consecutive cycle in which Kentucky has welcomed an international prospect; in 2024, UK signed Portuguese center Clara Silva (now at TCU), and in 2025, UK signed Swedish center Elsa Vadfors (now at ETSU).
Sivka is the fourth non-high school commitment — including the second guard — to choose Kentucky this cycle. She joins former Alabama starting guard Diana Collins, and former McDonald’s All-Americans Me’Arah O’Neal (Florida) and Ayanna Patterson (UConn).
The addition of Sivka pushes UK’s 2026-27 roster total to 11. Next season’s team is highlighted by the return of starters Clara Strack, a projected first-round pick in the 2027 WNBA draft, and shooting guard Asia Boone. The program will also bring in a trio of five-star recruits in Maddyn Greenway, Savvy Swords and Emily McDonald.
