The gang’s all here at last. Kentucky women’s basketball reset, reimagined for 2024-25.

As we inch ever closer to the start of a new season of women’s college basketball, things are falling into place for the Kentucky Wildcats.

All 13 rostered players — 11 of which are brand-new to Lexington — are moved in and enrolled in classes. Jersey numbers have been assigned, the majority of the schedule details released and historic Memorial Coliseum was set for its soft open on Friday, Aug. 30 with UK volleyball’s home opener; one can almost feel college basketball in the air.

In light of all the changes and new beginnings, Big Blue Nation might be in need of a refresher of all things Kentucky women’s basketball. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about the Wildcats as August flips to September.

Final roster and jersey numbers

New UK head coach Kenny Brooks wasted no time in assembling his inaugural Kentucky roster, bringing in several sought-after transfers and a trio of Division I newcomers previously committed to his staff at Virginia Tech. Only junior guards Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler return from last season’s Kentucky team, though true freshman guard Tanah Becker, who committed to the Wildcats under former head coach Kyra Elzy, still opted to sign with UK following the coaching change.

All-America graduate point guard Georgia Amoore, who elected to follow Brooks to UK instead of entering her name into the WNBA Draft, is expected to run the Wildcats’ offense this season. Ex-Hokies sophomore guard Gabby Brooks (Brooks’ daughter) and promising sophomore center Clara Strack also chose to make the move to Lexington. They’ll be joined by Virginia Tech 2024 recruiting class members Lexi Blue, the No. 40 overall prospect in 2024, international standout Clara Silva and junior college transfer forward Amelia Hassett.

Brooks dipped into the transfer portal to sign career 1,000-point scorers Dazia Lawrence (Charlotte) and Jordan Obi (Penn), and gained some more experience in former top-10 recruit Teonni Key (North Carolina) and 2024 Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention Dominika Paurova (Oregon State).

Unfortunately, the program announced July 29 that both Obi and Paurova sustained lower-leg injuries and are “out indefinitely.” There have been no further updates on their status.

KENTUCKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL JERSEY NUMBERS

0 — Jordan Obi, 6-1 graduate guard

2 — Saniah Tyler, 5-6 junior guard

3 — Georgia Amoore, 5-6 graduate guard

4 — Lexi Blue, 6-2 freshman guard

5 — Cassidy Rowe, 5-5 junior guard

7 — Teonni Key, 6-4 junior forward

8 — Tanah Becker, 6-1 freshman guard

10 — Dazia Lawrence, 5-8 redshirt senior guard

11 — Gabby Brooks, 5-10 sophomore guard

12 — Dominika Paurova, 6-1 sophomore guard

13 — Clara Strack, 6-5 sophomore center

17 — Clara Silva, 6-7 freshman center

32 — Amelia Hassett, 6-3 junior forward

2025 prospects to watch

Following a quick slew of calls and scholarship offers as soon as Brooks took office, the Wildcats find themselves in the conversation for a few of the top prospects in the class of 2025.

Most notably, Sacred Heart star ZaKiyah Johnson added Kentucky to her list of finalists once Brooks offered in the weeks after his move to Lexington — despite the fact that, months prior, Johnson had left the Wildcats off her top 12. Furthermore, the No. 7 overall recruit in the class of 2025 named UK to her top six alongside Louisville, LSU, Notre Dame, Southern California and South Carolina in July. Weeks later, Johnson told the Herald-Leader that she expected to take official visits with each of her finalists throughout the college football season before committing on her birthday, Nov. 23.

UK also remains in the race for 6-1 guard Agot Makeer, the No. 6 prospect in the class. Makeer, who was initially offered by the Wildcats under former head coach Kyra Elzy, named Kentucky to her final six in August alongside UConn, Duke, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan State. After playing the majority of her high school career in Ontario, Makeer recently announced she would play her senior season at Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Fellow 6-1 guard and Ontario product Deniya Prawl, the No. 15 recruit in 2025, named Kentucky to her final eight in August. The Wildcats will compete with Baylor, UConn, Florida, Louisville, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee for the IMG Academy (Fla.) standout’s commitment.

Kentucky also stands as one of three finalists vying for the commitment of North Carolina native Adelaide Jernigan, the No. 58 recruit in the class. The 5-11 Bishop McGuinness star, who Brooks has been recruiting since her freshman year of high school, told the Herald-Leader this summer that she’ll be making official visits to each of her three finalists — UK, Michigan and North Carolina State — at the start of September.

Schedule and ticketing

The new-look Southeastern Conference, which welcomes 2024 NCAA Tournament teams Oklahoma and Texas this season, means raised conference stakes for Brooks’ inaugural season with the Wildcats; what’s long been considered one of the strongest conferences in women’s college basketball has only grown tougher.

UK Athletics officially unveiled the majority of the 2024-25 women’s basketball schedule last week. The Wildcats are set to battle formidable opponents new and familiar in the first year of the Brooks era.

The 2024-25 season introduces four new coaches to the fold, including Brooks.

Tennessee hired former Marshall head coach Kim Caldwell in April after firing Kellie Harper. Caldwell — who spent seven seasons leading Division II Glenville State, her alma mater prior to her hiring at Marshall ahead of the 2023-24 campaign — led the Thundering Herd to an overall record of 26-7 (17-1 Sun Belt). Marshall earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a gutsy, 95-92 overtime victory over James Madison in the Sun Belt Tournament championship game. Caldwell’s final game with Marshall was a 92-49 loss to Brooks’ Virginia Tech team in the NCAA round of 64.

The Texas Longhorns’ entry to the SEC means a return to the storied conference for former Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer, who moved to Austin in 2020 after eight seasons with the Bulldogs. While in Starkville, Schaefer led Mississippi State to a pair of SEC regular season titles (2018, 2019), a 2019 SEC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances in 2017 and 2018. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2015, 2018 and 2019. Schaefer also won an NCAA title in 2011 with Texas A&M while serving as Hall of Fame head coach Gary Blair’s associate head coach, and served as an assistant coach at Arkansas from 1997-2000 and the Razorbacks’ associate head coach from 2000-03. Since his arrival in Austin, the Longhorns have posted a 109-32 record and reached the NCAA Elite Eight three times (2021, 2022, 2024). Last season, Texas went 33-5 (14-4 Big 12) and won a Big 12 Tournament championship.

OU head coach Jennie Baranczyk will make her SEC debut as she enters her fourth season at the helm for the Sooners. Baranczyk, who won three Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles (2017-19) and a pair of MVC Tournament championships (2017-18) during her nine seasons as Drake’s head coach, is the reigning Big 12 Coach of the Year. Oklahoma won the Big 12 regular season championship in both 2023 and 2024, and went 23-10 (15-3 Big 12) last season before falling in the NCAA round of 32 to Indiana. Baranczyk played four seasons for Iowa from 2000-04.

Kentucky will face Tennessee at Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 27, host Texas on Feb. 13 and travel to Oklahoma for a Feb. 2 matchup. The Wildcats also have a home game against 2023 national champion LSU on Feb. 23. and a road date with reigning NCAA champion South Carolina on March 2.

UK’s nonconference schedule is largely complete, with the Wildcats slated to face archrival Louisville in Lexington on Nov. 16 and 2023 NCAA Tournament round-of-32 team North Carolina (as part of the 2024 ACC/SEC Challenge) in Chapel Hill on Dec. 5. What remains to be announced are UK’s opponents in the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tennessee, on Nov. 26-27.

Times and TV assignments for all games are to be determined. Home games listed in all capital letters.

Oct. 11: BIG BLUE MADNESS

Oct. 18: 1-BLUE-WHITE GAME

Nov. 4: SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE

Nov. 7: NORTHERN KENTUCKY

Nov. 12: WOFFORD

Nov. 16: LOUISVILLE

Nov. 18: PURDUE FORT WAYNE

Nov. 26: 2-Opponent TBA

Nov. 27: 2-Opponent TBA

Dec. 5: 3-At North Carolina

Dec. 9: QUEENS

Dec. 14: At Purdue

Dec. 20: BELMONT

Dec. 28: WESTERN KENTUCKY

Jan. 2: MISSISSIPPI STATE

Jan. 5: At Vanderbilt

Jan. 9: At Florida

Jan. 12: AUBURN

Jan. 19: At Georgia

Jan. 23: At Texas A&M

Jan. 26: ARKANSAS

Jan. 30: ALABAMA

Feb. 2: At Oklahoma

Feb. 10: At Mississippi

Feb. 13: TEXAS

Feb. 16: GEORGIA

Feb. 20: At Missouri

Feb. 23: LSU

Feb. 27: TENNESSEE

March 2: At South Carolina

March 5-9: 4-SEC Tournament

1-Memorial Coliseum; 2-Music City Classic in Nashville, Tennessee; 3-ACC/SEC Challenge; 4-At Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.

▪ Per UK Athletics, the seat selection process for returning season ticket holders ran from June 27-July 26. New season ticket holders who placed deposits are currently working through the seat selection process. Those interested in season tickets, but who did not already place deposits, will have the option to purchase them at some point in September. Single-game ticket sales will begin following that process.

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