Kentucky Women’s Basketball Announces Season Opener

Kentucky women’s basketball announced its season opener for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday.

The Wildcats are set to open the year at home inside Historic Memorial Coliseum against Morehead State on Nov. 3.

The game will kick off Head Coach Kenny Brooks’ second season at the helm in Lexington after a successful year one saw the Wildcats get back into the NCAA Tournament and nearly make a second weekend for the first time since 2016.

While the announcement of a contest against Morehead State may not draw up as much excitement as the men’s season opener against Louisville, which could end up being a top 10 matchup, the scheduling decision is fairly par for the course for UK.

Last season, Kentucky opened its season at home against USC Upstate, winning 98-43 after 22 points from Clara Strack.

Prior seasons saw UK open its campaign against the likes of East Tennessee State (74-66 victory), Radford (82-78 victory), Presbyterian College (81-53 victory) and Murray State (86-60 victory).

Morehead State finished last season 10-20 overall, including a 107-70 loss to Louisville, which Kentucky bested that same year. The Eagles are unlikely to pose a significant threat to the Wildcats, but will serve as a valuable test toward blending Brooks’ roster, which received an overhaul in the transfer portal.

Following his 23-8 year-one campaign, Brooks suffered plenty of losses in the offseason while multiple returners have yet to see the court in Lexington as well.

After falling to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, Kentucky lost superstar Georgia Amoore, who was drafted No. 6 overall by the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, lost Saniah Tyler, Clara Silva and Tanah Becker to the transfer portal and said goodbye to Cassidy Rowe in controversial fashion.

With that, Teonni Key, Amelia Hassett and Strack are the only returning Wildcats that played any kind of significant minutes last season.

Kentucky will regain Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurova, both of whom were injured for the entirety of last season, and will return Gabby Brooks and Lexi Blue, though neither saw the court in a meaningful capacity.

Turning to the transfer portal, Brooks added several highly sought after transfers in Georgia Tech’s Tonie Morgan, Liberty Star Asia Boone and Western Kentucky transfer Josie Gilvin.

Brooks is also bringing in freshman McDonald’s All-American Kaelyn Carroll to the squad.

With so many new faces touching the floor inside Historic Memorial Coliseum, though Boone did so in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season in the Flames’ loss to Kentucky, a tune-up against Morehead State can allow the squad to grow and find its rhythm before facing tougher opposition.

A time and airing location for the Morehead State contest has yet to be announced.