Ahead of what hopes to be a memorable 2025-26 season for Kentucky women’s basketball, the media’s preseason SEC honors have been announced. The Wildcats were picked to finish eighth in the league.
In addition,
2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Clara Strack was named Second-Team All-SEC.
Last season, Strack started in all 31 games while averaging 15.4 points, 9.7 rebounds per game (ranked second in the SEC), 2.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks (first in the SEC). She set the single-season school records in both blocks (73) and blocks per game (2.4). The Buffalo (NY) native also set Kentucky’s single-game school record for blocks in a game with eight at Ole Miss.
Now a junior, Strack had 15 double-doubles last season, which ranked fourth in the SEC and 26th in America. She shot 48.8% from the field and 78.6% from the free-throw line.
For her efforts, Strack was also named a finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
If all goes according to plan, expect the Wildcats to finish higher than their projected eighth-place finish, as Kenny Brooks has something brewing in Year 2 as the head coach.
SEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Honors
Order of Finish
- South Carolina
- Texas
- LSU
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Ole Miss
- Vanderbilt
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Mississippi State
- Florida
- Georgia
- Missouri
- Texas A&M
- Auburn
- Arkansas
Preseason Players of the Year
Madison Booker, Texas
Preseason All-SEC First-Team
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Reagan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Mikayla Williams, LSU
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Rori Harmon, Texas
