‘A no-brainer.’ Why Georgia Amoore, Amelia Hassett and others followed Kenny Brooks to UK.

It’s all about relationships for Kentucky women’s basketball head coach Kenny Brooks.

Whether one asks his assistant coaches, or even UK’s recruiting targets, the answer is consistent — relationships and family are at the center of everything. It’s a mantra that’s brought him success at each of his coaching stops, from James Madison to Virginia Tech, and — just a few months removed from the 2024-25 campaign — positioned Kentucky for potential in this new chapter.

On Brooks’ inaugural Kentucky roster, six players — including his daughter, redshirt freshman transfer Gabby Brooks, and highly regarded incoming freshman Clara Silva — had ties to Virginia Tech while Brooks was at the helm, whether it meant suiting up for the Hokies during last year’s regular season Atlantic Coast Conference championship, or signing with the program’s 2024 recruiting class.

Players like All-America point guard and graduate transfer Georgia Amoore and rising sophomore center Clara Strack, two of Virginia Tech’s most prominent players — Strack having taken on a larger role in postseason play following the season-ending ACL injury sustained by Virginia Tech legend Liz Kitley — opted to start new chapters in the Bluegrass.

No. 40 overall prospect Lexi Blue and touted junior college transfer Amelia Hassett flipped their commitments from Virginia Tech to UK in the weeks following Brooks’ hiring, committing to a life in Lexington, sight unseen.

It begs the question — why? So much change comes with the decision to uproot and begin anew somewhere else, regardless where a player may be in their college career. Significant roster movement, changes in commitments and the transfer portal certainly aren’t rare, but Brooks has managed to maintain an uncommon consistency in the wake of what was one of the most-discussed coaching moves in the sport.

One could point to a variety of reasons — Brooks’ proven record of success, his skilled coaching staff, the chance to play in the increasingly competitive Southeastern Conference. Each of those factors played a role in Amoore, Strack, Blue and Hassett’s decisions, but, ultimately, it was more than that. The relationships were the true separator, and allowed his first Kentucky team to have more familiarity than many may have expected.

Amoore, who graduated as the Hokies’ third all-time leading scorer and helped usher in unprecedented culture and success, is tremendously close with Brooks; he’s called Amoore his “mini me,” and she’s referred to him as a second father. Once rumors surfaced that Amoore wouldn’t be forgoing her final season of eligibility to enter the WNBA Draft (where she was projected to be a first-round pick), many correctly predicted that the seasoned veteran would transfer to Kentucky.

“I was always gonna develop with Coach Brooks,” Amoore told the Herald-Leader. “I have confidence in that. I trust him so much. And, you know, I’m definitely gonna get better in different aspects this year, but I think at the end of the day, it’s a new challenge. A rebuilding program, who probably needs good leadership on court and off court.”

When describing her decision to transfer to Kentucky, Amoore also noted the benefits an SEC program like UK can offer.

“A new conference, new facilities,” Amoore said. “It’s a great choice for me to take advantage of the facilities. It’s just not really what I’ve seen elsewhere. SEC funding is crazy, the support they pour into athletes is insane. Even from a nutrition standpoint, or athletic training, it’s different. And it’s good, so I’m taking advantage of it.”

Strack is another former Hokie seeking further development under Brooks and his staff. The 6-foot-5 center (and No. 95 national prospect in the class of 2023) played in each of Virginia Tech’s 33 games last season, averaging 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 13.8 minutes per contest.

Strack called her freshman season “a year for growth” and said transferring to UK “was a really easy decision for me.”

“I think Coach Brooks is an amazing coach,” Strack said. “The relationships he builds with the players, the family atmosphere that he builds at these schools, I think that that’s just really important. He knows what I’m capable of, I know that he’s gonna push me to do what I am able to do.”

Both Amoore and Strack are expected to play considerable roles during the 2024-25 season.

Blue, who committed to Virginia Tech in July 2023, instantly brought the Wildcats their highest-ranked recruit since 2020 (Treasure Hunt, No. 29). A competitive, hardworking guard, Blue won five state championships with Orlando-based Lake Highland Prep.

Blue told the Herald-Leader that her recruitment was always, at its core, about the people. Her prioritization of relationships — and balancing that with the goal of winning — drove her to change the plan and sign with the Wildcats.

“In my recruiting process,” Blue said. “It was about the people, and being with people that are good people. And that was the main thing. I think winning is great. And, of course, that’s the expectation, but also it’s doing it with people that you love to be on the court with and love to have coaching from, and those types of things. So that really made me want to come and follow them to Kentucky.”

Hassett, Eastern Florida State College’s all-time rebounding leader (659), first heard from Brooks and assistant coach Radvile Autukaite during the Titans’ 2023-24 season. It was an immediate connection.

“Straight off the bat, I wanted to get on a visit (to Virginia Tech),” Hassett said. “I just loved talking to them. And then once I went on that visit, it was like, ‘this is the place I want to be.”

Despite her love for Virginia Tech, Hassett knew she wanted to play for Brooks — no matter where he was coaching.

“Him and the staff, they’re just amazing people and they really care about their players,” Hassett said. “It was kind of a no-brainer to sort of follow him. Obviously, these players that he was taking with him as well that I knew. It was just obvious to me to just follow him.”

The Wildcats’ 2024-25 roster includes 13 players, also including returning guards Saniah Tyler and Cassidy Rowe, veteran transfers Dazia Lawrence (Charlotte), Teonni Key (North Carolina) and Jordan Obi (Penn), Dominika Paurova (Oregon State) and freshman Tanah Becker.

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