Kentucky WBB snubbed from ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25

Last season, Kentucky was ranked in all 21 AP Poll updates. However, Kenny Brooks has lost some talent this offseason, inlcuding two-time All-American Georgia Amoore. Despite the success the program had in year one under Brooks, ESPN doesn’t think too highly of the Cats heading into the 2025-26 season.

Charlie Creme, ESPN’s Bracketologist on the women’s side, did not include Kentucky in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. He did, however, put Kentucky in his “also considered” category alongside Ole Miss and Minnesota.

UCLA comes in as the No. 1 team, while UConn, the reigning champs, come in at No. 3. There are six SEC teams in the Way-Too-Early Top 25, all in the top 11. There are two mid-major teams (Princeton and Richmond) in the rankings.

The full list goes as follows:

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. UConn
4. Texas
5. Duke
6. LSU
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Baylor
10. NC State
11. Vanderbilt
12. USC
13. Iowa State
14. North Carolina
15. Louisville
16. Michigan
17. Notre Dame
18. Iowa
19. Michigan State
20. Richmond
21. Maryland
22. Oklahoma State
23. Princeton
24. Washington
25. Ohio State

Also considered: Ole Miss, Kentucky, Minnesota

Brooks and the staff still have some work to do in the transfer portal, only adding WKU transfer Josie Gilvin and Liberty transfer Asia Boone thus far. With the likes of Clara Strack and Teonni Key returning and Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurová set to come back from injury, Kentucky’s future is certainly promising, even if ESPN has its doubts.