Brooks, Cats Hope to Build Off Year One Success
Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks has his squad going through fall practice. After a successful first season in Lexington last year, Brooks is looking to build on what the 2024-25 Cats accomplished.
“I thought we did a really good job of setting a foundation, where we want to go and who we want to be,” Brooks said. “Last year was terrific. We were talking about breaking records in everything we did last year, and obviously looking forward to this year, and I’m very excited about this group. A lot of unknowns. Just like most coaches around the country at this point of the year, you’re just trying to build chemistry, and we’re trying to do that.”
The standout for this year’s UK team could be junior Clara Strack. After being named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season, Strack should be able to take another step forward this year.
“he’s gotten better, and I think what you guys are going to see this year,” Brooks said. “If there are traditionalists out there and they’re talking about post players and you want me to put her on the block and let her bang and throw up some two-foot lay-ups, it’s not going to happen. She’s kind of like a new-age center in the way that the game is evolving where they can do more than just go down on the block.”
Strack’s versatility is something that Brooks says fans will notice this season.
“We’ve got some opportunities for her to bring the ball up the floor. We’ve given her the green light, okay, if you get a rebound, hey, let’s go; go with it,” Brooks said. “We’re doing things unorthodox where instead of her always setting the ball screen and rolling, she’s getting ball screens set for her and she’s coming off of it because she’s just a dynamic passer. I think she’s one of the best passing post players in the country.”
Brooks knows that Strack will need to be even better because she will be the focus of opponents’ game plan all season.
“Now, what she has to be ready for is that she’s not going to sneak up on anyone,” Brooks said. “She’s going to be the focal point of everyone’s scouting report, and I think that she’s ready for that. She’s had a phenomenal summer. She’s gotten a lot better. She’s shooting the three ball as well as anybody on our team right now. I just think you’re going to see her continue to develop, and to have a 6’5″ mobile center who can do a lot of different things, we’re going to take advantage of it, and that’s going to be our way of being a hard guard.”
The biggest difference this year is that the Cats will not have All-American guard Georgia Amoore. Replacing her at the point will be Tonie Morgan, a transfer from Georgia Tech. Brooks likes what he has seen from Morgan thus far.
“I didn’t want Tonie to feel like she had to be Georgia, and although we reference Georgia a lot in our conversations just because Tonie and I only have less than a year to build that chemistry, and so the blueprint has been what Georgia provided,” Brooks said. “To Tonie’s credit, she has been magnificent as far as just understanding it, welcoming it. I commend her for just her coming in here, hearing Georgia’s name a lot but not letting it affect her and knowing that she’s still going to be Tonie, and we’re excited for what she’s going to be able to bring to us.”
Brooks likes the size that this year’s Cats bring to the floor and he hopes to take full advantage of that.
“This is probably the tallest team I’ve ever had in my 25 years of coaching, and I think we’re going to be able to use that to our advantage just because obviously we may not be the quickest team, but last year we led the country in blocked shots,” Brooks said. “I think we have the catalyst to still do that again with Teonni Key and Clara Strack in the middle, but they’re very tall and they’re long, so we’re looking forward to using that to our advantage.”
Brooks is hoping that a stronger Strack, along with Morgan at the point, can be the foundation that the Cats build on this season.
