Pair of Kentucky WBB recent visitors detail time on campus with KSR

Nothing like football season, right? The fall weather, tailgating, the leaves changing color — everything about football season is awesome. However, football season also serves as recruiting visit season for basketball, and that’s exactly how Kenny Brooks and the Kentucky staff are spending this important preseason time, by hosting recruits on campus.

As reported on KSR+ at the time, the weekend of the Ole Miss game, several top 25 recruits were in Lexington for visits. Among the large pool of talent were class of 2028 standouts Taylor Stanfield and NaRiya Goddard.

Thank you @kentuckywbb #BBN 💙 Much appreciation to the entire coaching staff, and the Kentucky players for the great experience, connections and hospitality. #GoCats #unofficial #BBN #UniversityofKentucky #Wildcats #SEC #BigBlue #Lexington #classof2028 #UK #Bluegrass… pic.twitter.com/9eWIvVvlwo

— Taylor Stanfield (@t_stanfield2) September 9, 2025

Thank you, @CoackBrooksUK , for hosting me and my family on campus this past weekend. It was an amazing experience, and I really enjoyed my time there. I can’t wait to come back !!!!@L_Hicks04 @unofficial @KentuckyWBB @Coachshack34 @CoachFantan @WayneGirlsBBall @SCA_OH pic.twitter.com/GCU8St41U8

— NaRiya Goddard (@NaRiya_G) September 9, 2025

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

The two future stars talked with KSR about their time on campus. By the sound of it, both had really, really good visits, and for Stanfield, the staff’s first impression set the tone for the entire visit.

“My visit was great,” Stanfield told KSR. “I had a lot of fun meeting the coaches and the players. I also really enjoyed watching practice, and that was probably the main or my favorite thing about the whole visit. You could feel the positive energy and presence of the whole program right when we arrived. My big takeaway from the visit is how welcoming and purposeful the staff were throughout the whole visit.”

Goddard had pretty similar things to say about her initial thoughts on the staff and Kentucky as a whole.

“My visit was amazing,” Goddard explained. “The energy around the program and the campus really stood out to me. I felt like the coaches, players, and community were all locked in on building something special, and that made a huge impression on me. Football was pretty cool as well.”

Both recruits went into what it was like talking with the coaches as well — both of them having glowing remarks about how the staff is “real” and is invested in them as people and not just players.

Stanfield: “I have been getting to know coach Lindsey Hicks throughout my recruiting process with UK, and talking with her is very natural and not forced or artificial. Over the weekend of my visit was the first time meeting the staff in person and it couldn’t have gone any better. The conversation was great and it helped getting to know and grow familiar with the coaches.”

Goddard: “Coach Brooks and the staff have been very genuine with me from the start. They’ve been talking to me not just about basketball but also about life, which means a lot. It seems like they actually give a crap about their players.”

Stanfield is looking for a program where she can not only thrive athletically, but also academically. As for Goddard, she’s looking for what every recruit is looking for in a place that is more than likely hundreds of miles away from where they live — a home away from home and a family-like atmosphere.

It was clear that the magnitude of BBN is not only something that the staff pitched to Stanfield on her visit, but she felt just how much BBN loves UK Athletics while she was in town.

“The biggest thing, but not the only thing that attracts me to UK is the atmosphere on campus,” Stanfield mentioned. “During the football game, I got to see how UK fans show up for athletics, but as I was on my tour around the facilities of the women’s basketball program, the coaches were telling me how most of the gym is packed with fans on game days and that they had several sold out games last season. Being a part of a culture that celebrates not only athletics but also women in sports is a culture that I desire to be a part of.”

Goddard, on the other hand, clearly saw just how much the university and its athletic programs value being amongst the best of the best. The Kentucky basketball brand is undeniable.

“The tradition, the fan base and the commitment to excellence all stand out,” she said. “You can feel how much the UK brand means there, and that’s something any player would love to be part of.”

Rundown of prospects offered by Kentucky

2026

• 5-star post Olivia Vukosa – No. 3 overall, No. 1 post – Christ the King (FL) – Missed top 5
• 5-star point guard Kate Harpring – No. 4 overall, No. 1 point guard – Marist (GA) – Committed to North Carolina
• 5-star guard Trinity Jones – No. 7 overall, No. 3 guard – Bolingbrook (IL)
• 5-star point guard Maddyn Greenway – No. 11 overall, No. 2 point guard – Providence Academy (MN) – Committed to Kentucky
• 5-star guard Bella Flemings – No. 12 overall, No. 5 guard – Brennan (TX) – Missed top 5
• 5-star wing Savvy Swords – No. 18 overall, No. 4 wing – Long Island Lutheran (NY) – Committed to Kentucky
• 4-star guard Jenica Lewis – No. 19 overall, No. 7 guard – Johnston (IA) – Missed top 5
• 4-star forward Amari Byles – No. 22 overall, No. 4 forward – DeSoto (TX)
• 4-star guard Sanai Green – No. 23 overall, No. 9 guard – Long Island Lutheran (NY) – Committed to Duke
• 4-star forward Kamora Pruitt – No. 24 overall, No. 5 forward – Legion Prep Academy (TX)
• 4-star wing Bella Ragone – No. 28 overall, No. 7 wing – Mill Creek (GA) – Committed to Notre Dame
• 4-star forward Mimi Thiero – No. 35 overall, No. 9 forward – Quaker Valley (PA)
• 4-star guard Emily McDonald – No. 39 overall, No. 13 guard – Long Island Lutheran (NY)
• 4-star guard Whitley Rogers – No. 41 overall, No. 15 guard – Little Rock Christian Academy (AR) – Missed top 5

2027

• 5-star guard Ivanna Wilson Manyacka – No. 2 overall, No. 1 guard – Bullis (MD)
• 5-star post Caroline Bradley – No. 3 overall, No. 1 post – Oak Grove (LA)
• 5-star guard Haylen Ayers – No. 5 overall, No. 2 guard – University School of Jackson (TN)
• 5-star wing Jordyn Palmer – No. 6 overall, No. 1 wing – Westtown (PA)
• 5-star wing Micah Ojo – No. 7 overall, No. 2 wing – Princess Anne (VA)
• 5-star guard Sydney Savoury – No. 15 overall, No. 4 guard – Belleville (MI)
• 4-star point guard De’Andra Minor – No. 21 overall, No. 3 point guard – Grind Prep Academy (OK)
• 4-star forward Sydney Mobley – No. 22 overall, No. 6 forward – Big Walnut (OH)
• 4-star guard Madeline Mignery – No. 33 overall, No. 11 guard – Cardinal Mooney (FL)
• Forward Isabella Marion – Unranked (international) – Denmark

2028

• 4-star forward Sydney Douglas – No. 2 overall, No. 1 forward – Centennial (CA)
• 4-star point guard Chloe Johnson – No. 3 overall, No. 1 point guard – Marshall (MN)
• 4-star wing Ella Peper – No. 4 overall, No. 1 wing – Dexter Southfield (MA)
• 4-star guard Dakhari Blankumsee – No. 9 overall, No. 4 guard – Winton Woods (OH)
• 4-star guard Janiyah Hargrave – No. 14 overall, No. 7 guard – Fairmont (OH)
• 4-star guard Jhaliana Guy – No. 19 overall, No. 10 guard – Bettendorf (IA) – Committed to Stanford
• 4-star point guard Easton McCollough – No. 21 overall, No. 4 point guard – Farmington (AR)
• 4-star guard Erin Thomas – No. 22 overall, No. 11 guard – Princeton (OH)

2029

• Center Jayden McClain – Unranked (no rankings for 2029 yet) – Ryle (KY)
• Wing Carib Morris – Unranked (no rankings for 2029 yet) – Cresset Christian Academy (NC)

(via ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT Rankings)