They really missed an opportunity to slay a dragon, with Watkins getting injured, they could beat USC, and likely, would've gotten a chance against the favorite (Connecticut) to get to the Final Four. What a bummer loss to K-State.
Kentucky Women's Team
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Disappointing loss for a great turnaround year to build on.
I saw where Clara Silva has put her name in the transfer portal, my first thought is why? She played as much as she could expect to being a freshman and did alright. She needs to get stronger and more aggressive to be effective, but in time I think she will be good. I just don't understand this, I guess she wasn't happy here, but I don't see how any player that plays for Kenny Brooks can't be happy. She put a do not contact tag on her portal entry, so I guess she already knows where she's going. The NCAA needs to at least make you sit out a year if you want to transfer, just like it used to be, that will slow this train down a lot when you know you are going to have to sit a year.
Strack was so good, she probably just wanted a better opportunity to be the premier big.
i watched it and ending was very frustrating to say the least. I don't remember all the details but I remember it felt like we gave it away.
And perhaps she knows she will be relegated to a lesser role with injured players coming back and perhaps being recruited over.
IDK but......... we had two players with season ending injuries that were projected to be starters.
Brooks was raving about one of them not too long ago.
Could be Silva sees her PT going down with their return..... just my WAG
They were down 1 point and kept jacking up 3's as time expired.
It has to be frustrating for Silva. She is so tall, she breathes on a player and gets called for a foul. Maybe she wants to get out of the SEC for that reason?
Agree.
One free transfer and sit a year for any additional even if it doesn’t impact years of eligibility. I.e. you get to play 4 years in 6 (instead of 5 as it is)……orrrr….we blow up the current structure (bc mid majors have 0 chance to win a title) and we break the 300+ D1 into 3 divisions. You get as many “free” transfers if you are going up or down divisions. Have to sit out a year if it’s cross divisions w the exception of your coach leaving.
As to Silva… she’s clearly behind Strack who is also a Freshman (they can play together obviously tho). She may just be looking for somewhere to start… she may also just be playing the “will someone else pay me” game bc these college girls have more money floating around the college game than the WNBA right now
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They were up about 5 with around a minute left in regulation if I'm not mistaken. Should have won that game but then Strack took an ill-advised 3 and they failed to defend the opponent's sniper. She made them pay big time. I haven't been impressed with Brook's coaching at the end of games.
We will not miss Silva too much if she leaves. We need someone with strength and toughness to play against some of the huge beefy centers in the SEC. STRACK will become an all-American if not the premier women’s center in the country. But we will need a reliable backup center to spell her.
The big question is how they’re going to play next season without Amore who was a ball and shot hog. I’m sure Brooks relied on Amore to run the show, but next year we’ll need a point guard to replace a legend. There’s some very good recruits coming in plus a couple of good players who missed all of last season because of season-ending injuries.
The big question is how they’re going to play next season without Amore who was a ball and shot hog. I’m sure Brooks relied on Amore to run the show, but next year we’ll need a point guard to replace a legend. There’s some very good recruits coming in plus a couple of good players who missed all of last season because of season-ending injuries.
Courts will not allow that restriction. If a coach can transfer and not sit for a year, it will never be mandated that players sit out.
Key needs to put on some weight and get stronger and shoot better. She’s already a good rebounder but has had games where she couldn’t score enough.
Amore missed a point blank 3- footer as time expired in OT. Lawrence lost the ball out of bounds driving for the winning layup in regulation. It was very frustrating for the players and fans alike.
Sorry, I deleted my original reply after I realized it was Silva not Strack. Thank goodness!
I've never heard of a coach transferring, rules are different for players and coaches, they didn't have all this trouble before the jumping from school to school started. Something has to and will be done in the not-too-distant future. The student athlete can't have their cake and eat it too, they already have way much more than the average student has or gets, enough is enough.
USC girls would still be favorite.
They have a lot of players that will do more now that Juju doesn’t have it 80% of the time.
They have a lot of players that will do more now that Juju doesn’t have it 80% of the time.
It's been decided by the highest court in the land. NCAA hands are tied. They have lost over and over in court.
I think they had 4 shots in the last 13 seconds. That’s all you can ask for … shots just didn’t fall, unfortunately. Helluva year !!
What got me we had 3 fouls to give with 17 seconds to go in regulation. instead we let them get a good look from about 5 feet.
This.
This is why I thought the old rule was unfair.
If a player wanted to transfer from Kentucky to Stanford, he had to sit out a year.
If the Stanford coach wanted to go coach Kentucky, he could leave on the middle of the night (or middle of the season) and the only penalty he’d face is a buyout that his new employer will pay.
Under the old rules, the institutions had too much power. Under the new rules, players have too much power. I would like to find a happy medium but don’t know how to get there.
That’s going to suck to even lose Silva . I thought she would stay and develop into a good 6’7” face up center. To be honest playing in the SEC Brooks needs to go more physical because LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and a lot of others have big girls up front. I thought I saw where a big from a big Ten school had come available the other day and UK was interested. Her name has slipped my mind.
I thought the key play that hurt us at the end was Lawrence driving and shooting instead of killing more clock. We were in too big of a hurry the last three minutes.
I asked X's Grok how it would fix the portal. This is what it said.
"The NCAA Transfer Portal has been a hot topic since its introduction in 2018, aiming to give athletes more freedom to switch schools while maintaining some structure. However, it’s created a bit of a Wild West scenario—players jumping ship mid-season, teams poaching talent like it’s a free-agent market, and coaches left scrambling. Fixing it requires balancing athlete autonomy with competitive integrity. Here’s how I’d approach it:
First, tighten the timing windows. Right now, there are specific entry periods (e.g., December and April for football), but players can still leave outside those windows with waivers or grad-transfer rules. I’d enforce strict, sport-specific deadlines—say, a 30-day window post-season—and eliminate mid-season transfers entirely, except in extreme cases like coaching abuse or program violations, verified by an independent NCAA panel. This keeps rosters stable during competition and gives coaches a fighting chance to plan.
Second, cap the number of transfers. One free transfer makes sense—people deserve a shot at a better fit. But after that, impose a sit-out year unless the player graduates or the school agrees to release them without penalty. This discourages the “grass is greener” mentality and curbs the revolving-door chaos, while still allowing flexibility for legit reasons.
Third, address tampering. The portal’s anonymity is a myth—coaches and agents know who’s in there before the public does. I’d implement a public log of all portal entries, accessible to NCAA compliance officers, and stiffen penalties for illegal contact (e.g., loss of scholarships or postseason bans). Pair this with a rule requiring players to disclose any third-party involvement (like agents) when entering, to shine a light on backroom deals.
Finally, incentivize staying put. Offer a one-time “loyalty bonus”—extra eligibility, NIL support, or academic perks—for athletes who complete three years at their original school. It’s not about locking them in; it’s about rewarding commitment in an era where jumping ship is too easy.
The data backs this up: in 2023 alone, over 3,000 FBS football players entered the portal, with many citing NIL deals or playing time as drivers. Meanwhile, coaches like Nick Saban (before retiring) griped about the lack of regulation turning college sports into a pay-for-play league. My fixes aim to keep the portal’s spirit—player empowerment—while restoring some order. What do you think—too strict, or not strict enough?"
Silva could return. A do not contact could mean she knows what options are on the table for her and wants to weigh them before making a decision. She may want to see what portal players are picked up by Brooks before deciding to return or transfer.
If Silva left because of Strack, then we don't need her, she knew coming in Strack was an up and coming center that had potential. Also, if Silva doesn't want any competition at her position, anywhere else she goes she will have to compete for a starting position. Kentucky gave her a lot of playing time, a chance to play in the NCAA tournament in a newly renovated Memorial coliseum and play for a coach that has won coach of the year. She was recruited by him at Virginia Tech too, which make this puzzling. If she just isn't happy or is homesick, I understand, but she had a pretty good situation at Kentucky.
It's kinda weird, but I had the thought that we were playing it like a non-conference game during the season to learn from and not like a tournament game, when there's no tomorrow ... the end was head-scratching, to be honest.
Yes those last three minutes should have been drilled in their heads to burn the clock and take only high percentage shots on every possession.
Learning to win is a process, but it needs to be taught. In late games, with the lead, the clock is your friend.
That girl Kansas State had down low was a beast. Big ol’ gal. We couldn’t stop her down low and trying to caused us to give up way too many wide open threes. And they made them in spades in the second half. Strack is gonna be a good one though. I think Brooks is gonna do big things here.