Nyah Leveretter represents Kentucky at SEC Leadership Council Meeting

Nyah Leveretter had a busy weekend, and it wasn’t on the court.

The junior forward visited Birmingham, AL to attend the Southeastern Conference’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Council annual meeting. The two-day conference lasted Friday and Saturday.

Leveretter wasn’t the only ‘Cat in attendance. Kentucky men’s basketball sent senior guard Brennan Canada to represent their squad. In fact, all 14 SEC institutions sent two student-athletes to discuss rules, critiques and recommendations with the SEC and NCAA.

Our @nyahlev02 is headed to Birmingham to take part in the annual @SEC Basketball Leadership Council meeting.

🙌💁‍♀️

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) September 15, 2022

Nyah Leveretter’s history of leadership

This isn’t the first time Leveretter has been put in a leadership position. Last season, Leveretter was the only underclassman selected to attend Kentucky’s leadership academy. Fifth-year senior Blair Green saw Leveretter’s potential from the start.

“Nyah can be a great leader,” Green said during an interview last summer. “When the seniors are gone next year, she can really step up and be a leader.”

Due to an injury in a preseason scrimmage last season, Green is back for one last run, but that doesn’t mean Leveretter can’t be a leader now. The 6-foot-3 talent took a massive leap forward last year when Kentucky was dealing with injuries.

Leveretter started 11 games for the ‘Cats and had a career performance on Jan. 27 against Vanderbilt. In 37 minutes, Leveretter recorded seven points, six blocks and five rebounds, while shooting 100% from the floor.

A positive attitude

After losing five players this offseason, four of them to the transfer portal, Kentucky can’t afford for this kind of performance to be an outlier. In one summer, Leveretter transformed from Kentucky’s most inexperienced post player to a veteran others look to for advice. The transition will be difficult, but if anybody on the team can handle it, it’s Leveretter.

“Being thrown into the fire is the best way to learn,” Leveretter said after Kentucky’s win over Alabama on Feb. 13.

Hopefully, Leveretter’s mindset hasn’t changed. Leveretter’s teammates will need her as their feet are put to the flames this season.