“We’re Coming for It All”: Kentucky Women’s Basketball Embraces Championship Vision in Year 2 Under Kenny Brooks
The message from Lexington is loud and clear — Kentucky women’s basketball isn’t playing it safe in Year 2 under head coach Kenny Brooks. With a rebuilt roster, a winning culture taking root, and the full backing of the program’s revamped facilities, the Wildcats are setting their sights on the ultimate prize: a national championship. “That’s the goal,” Brooks declared, and his squad is buying in. After laying a solid foundation last season, Kentucky isn’t just building — they’re aiming to dominate. The road to glory is underway, and Big Blue Nation can feel something special brewing.
Kenny Brooks added two five-star commitments in the class of 2026 before many programs have picked up their first pledges — only three top-20 prospects are off the board overall and a pair are accounted for, thanks to Kentucky. No. 9 overall prospect Maddyn Greenway was the first in November, followed by No. 11 overall Savvy Swords in June.
Those commitments come on the heels of a 23-win season in Brooks’ first year in Lexington, the Wildcats ranked from start to finish while earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bringing back the likes of Clara Strack, Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett for what is expected to be another fun year, the future is bright at Kentucky.
“I think it’s really cool to see two great commits, them coming next year. It’s just exciting,” Hassett said on WLAP’s Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “It does a lot for the program, obviously, knowing that it was the first year that Coach Brooks was here, and then seeing it evolve so quickly is just really exciting to see. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Kentucky basketball.”
The difference from last year to 2025-26 for the Wildcats? Depth. Kentucky had talent, but injuries forced Brooks to tighten the rotation — and it didn’t help that Hassett quietly battled walking pneumonia down the stretch.
Two key players are back from injury, along with the other new additions and returning pieces. Losing Georgia Amoore hurts, obviously, but it’s a strong core elsewhere with more juice to expand the bench.
