Kenny Brooks thinks Kentucky is 'as talented as anyone' in the SEC — the 'mini-WNBA'

Heading into his first year coaching in the SEC, a lot of people questioned Kenny Brooks and his team. How would his style of play fair in a much more physical conference? Would players like Georgia Amoore and Dazia Lawrence be able to maintain their productivity against tougher competition? Was Brooks and his team ready for the SEC?

His response? “Is the SEC ready for us?”

Kenny Brooks: “They said, ‘Are you ready for the SEC’, and I’m like, ‘Is the SEC ready for us’.”
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— Phoenix Stevens (@PStevensKSR) January 8, 2025

Kentucky proceeded to go 11-5 in conference play and finish fourth in the SEC — good enough for a double-bye in the SEC Tournament and good enough to outdo most folks’ expectations. Just ask Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey and Vic Schaefer about how impressive Brooks’ first year in Lexington was.

“Obviously, we had a phenomenal year — 11-5,” Brooks said in his first press conference of the summer.

Following that, he talked about what he learned in year one about playing in the SEC.

“Just understanding the physicality, the level of play, the style of play,” he added. “So, you can actually prepare for it a little bit better now as opposed to just watching film and hoping and wishing that you understand. You actually can feel it. You have an understanding of what it feels like. It’s kind of funny, we feel we’re as talented as anyone, but someone did alert me and say that we’re playing in the mini-WNBA.”

Despite the success that the team saw a year ago, there’s still a chip on Brooks’ shoulder. He’s yet again embracing that same “go get ’em” mentality he carried into last season.

“So many teams got better in our league, but we’re looking forward to being one of those teams that can compete at a high level. Last year’s preparation, last year’s activities will prepare us for next year.”

This offseason, Kentucky returned a plethora of talent, headlined by the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Clara Strack. On top of that, Brooks and the staff reeled in Tonie Morgan, one of the top point guards from the transfer portal as well as Conference USA stars Josie Gilvin and Asia Boone. They rounded out their acquisitions by bringing in five-star freshman Kaelyn Carroll and Swedish post Elsa Vadfors.

There’s certainly a surplus of talent for Brooks to work with. Soon enough, it’ll be time to put that talent to the test.

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