Clara Strack Unanimous Preseason All-SEC First Team, Me’Arah O’Neal Second Team, According to the Coaches

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky senior center Clara Strack was unanimously selected to the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference First Team, while junior forward Me’Arah O’Neal was chosen for the second team, according to the league coaches, it was announced Wednesday.

The Wildcats also were selected to finish fifth in the league in the same preseason poll.

All-SEC nod for these two. 🙂‍↕️ https://t.co/isdWlPwW1p

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) October 21, 2026

Clara Strack
Strack, 6-5 center from Buffalo, New York, enters her senior season in 2026-27, returning to the college women’s basketball scene as one of just two Lisa Leslie Center of the Year finalists from a year ago. In 36 games last season, she averaged 16.9 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game, 2.53 blocks per game, 1.89 assists per game and 1.22 steals per game, while also sinking 25 3s.

The Wildcat, who led her team in points, rebounds, blocks and steals, also combined for 16 double-doubles, which were 18th in the nation. Meanwhile, her 91 blocks were second in the nation and her 2.52 bpg were seventh in the nation, while both values also broke her own single-season school records. Her 365 rebounds were 13th in the nation.

Last season, she became the first player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to record 607 points, 365 rebounds, 91 blocks, 68 assists, 44 steals and 25 3s in one season in 2025-26. She also joined Candance Parker (2005-07) as the only two players to have at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 150 blocks, 125 assists and 50 steals within their first two seasons at an SEC school.

With her career-high-tying 33 points against No. 22/22 Georgia on March 5 – a game that she also drained five 3s on 5-of-7 from the arc – she became the third fastest player to eclipse 1,000 career points in a Kentucky uniform with 1,030 points through 63 games in the Blue and White . She did so only behind WNBA No. 1 Draft Pick Rhyne Howard and WBCA Hall of Famer Valerie Still.

Strack hauled in a long list of honors last season in addition to Center of the Year finalist in 2025-26, also including All-America nods from USBWA, Associated Press and USA Today, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist, All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team.

Me’Arah O’Neal
O’Neal, a 6-4 forward from Houston, Texas, played the last two seasons at Florida. In 68 games and 41 starts in Gainesville, she combined for 615 points, 347 rebounds, 67 blocks, 59 steals and 54 assists.

Last season, she played and started all 33 games, averaging 13.6 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, which ranked 17th in the SEC, 1.4 blocks per game, which was sixth in the SEC, 1.36 steals per game and 1.1 assists per game. She averaged 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent shooting from the arc on 37 3s. She also went to the line 155 times, averaging 74.2 percent shooting there, which ranked 15th in the SEC.

She made 10+ points in 23 games and 20+ points in six games. She also had 10+ rebounds in seven games, assembling seven double-doubles on the season, including her first three games of 2025-26.

O’Neal was named the SEC co-Player of the Week on Dec. 30, 2025, after stuffing the stats in a win over Furman. She put up 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals.

This list of preseason honors given out today are as follows:

Order of Finish
Rank      Team
1             South Carolina
2             Texas
3             LSU
3             Vanderbilt
5             Kentucky
6             Oklahoma
7             Ole Miss
8             Tennessee
9             Mississippi State
10           Texas A&M
11           Florida
12           Missouri
13           Alabama
13           Georgia
15           Auburn
16           Arkansas

Preseason Player of the Year
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

Preseason First Team All-SEC
Clara Strack, Kentucky (u)
MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU (u)
Talaysia Cooper, Ole Miss
Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina (u)
Tessa Johnson, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas (u)
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt (u)
Aubrey Galvan, Vanderbilt

Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Kiyomi McMiller, Florida
Me’Arah O’Neal, Kentucky
Jada Richardson; Ole Miss
Madison Francis, Mississippi State
Grace Slaughter, Missouri
Sahara Williams, Oklahoma
Chloe Kitts, South Carolina
Jordan Lee, South Carolina
Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina
Breya Cunningham, Texas
Mia Woolfolk, Vanderbilt

(u) – unanimous