You read that headline, and you might say, “Man, that is harsh,” but there was a method to the madness for Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks.
Clara Strack was coming off a sloppy game in a win against Auburn on the road, and the Cats were set to host No. 3 South Carolina. Brooks thought he needed to have a conversation with Clara, who finished the Auburn game with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 turnovers.
Honestly, there probably should never be a game in which Clara Strack has fewer than
9 rebounds. She is always around the rim on both sides and is tall enough and strong enough to box out nearly everyone. Brooks pulled her aside and let her know how he felt.
He told the SEC Tournament panel:
“I might get arrested for child abuse; it only refers to her. I looked at her, and I said, ‘You are the worst superstar I’ve ever coached.’ And when she looked at me, she had tears in her eyes. Before we got on the plane, she said, ‘Can we watch film tomorrow?’ We had two workouts leading up to South Carolina, and the intensity that she had, it was like, ‘I am never going to disappoint you again.’
“The intensity that we had in those workouts, I looked at my staff, and I said, ‘She’s ready for tomorrow.’ And she came out on Sunday, and she was unbelievable, and she has had that same look because she understands her importance, her value to us. But more importantly, in mine and her relationship, I can say that to her. I can’t say it to anyone else, but I can say it to her, and she knows where it’s coming from.
“I didn’t say she was the worst player, I didn’t say she was the worst star. I said, ‘You were the worst superstar,’ and that really got her going.”
That kind of quote can make or break a player, and Brooks knows which buttons to push because Clara has been phenomenal since.
Clara Strack responds in a big way
When the Cats took on the Gamecocks, Strack finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and was 4-5 in the 4th quarter against one of the best front courts in the nation. Today, when the Cats opened up the SEC Tournament against the Razorbacks, Clara was again dominant. In the 93-63 win, Strack scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes.
The Cats now will have a little over 20 hours to rest up for a rematch against Georgia.
The game will be on the SEC Network live at 11 AM EST.
Can the Cats get a little revenge on the Bulldogs?
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
