UK Hoops’ star comes from the bench

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Wendy Palmer may be the best player ever to sit on the bench at a UK women’s basketball game. She’ll never don a warm-up jersey or enter a game for the Cats, but her impact as an assistant coach will always be felt on the team.

As a retired 6-2 former WNBA All-Star, her playing record speaks for itself. Now an assistant for UK, she says she tries to bring the same intensity to the Cats that defined her as a player.

“I play on a whole different level,” Palmer said. “(The team) may not understand the player I am and the intensity I bring.”

Palmer’s career at the University of Virginia was nothing short of outstanding. She was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection three times was ACC Player of the Year twice, and later had her jersey retired by the Cavaliers. She joined the WNBA’s Utah Starzz in 1997 and played in each of the first 11 seasons in WNBA history— one of only six players to do so. She also was named to the 2000 WNBA All-Star team.

As Palmer entered what would be her final WNBA training camp, a friend called her and told her a coaching opportunity had opened up at Kentucky. At the time, Palmer had never worked for the Cats or with UK head coach Matthew Mitchell, and was initially apprehensive. But she took the job, and is now in her second season coaching UK’s post players.

Her impact on the team is evident, as sophomore forward Victoria Dunlap and senior center Eleia Roddy have both developed into major forces in the post. Dunlap said that when Palmer steps in to guard players in practice, it’s always a challenge.

“She can definitely read before we can what we’re going to do because she’s obviously played for longer than we have,” Dunlap said. “It’s a challenge sometimes. Sometimes we get real excited just because, we’re scoring on Wendy Palmer. It’s pretty fun, we definitely see how good she was even if she’s not  going full speed.”

According to Mitchell, Palmer’s unique combination of skills as a former player and someone who can “connect with others” makes her a great recruiter as well.

“She’s just the kind of person we want in the program,” Mitchell said. “She’s very dedicated, she’s very loyal, and she cares about the players before anything else and that’s what our hallmark is and what we want it to be.”

Palmer, who repeatedly described herself as “intense,” said more than one of the Cats remind her of herself, but particularly senior guard Carly Ormerod.

“Ormerod because of her relentless passion, her willingness to sacrifice her body and her desire to win,” Palmer said. “But I see characteristics of me in Victoria and E-Rod.”

Palmer admitted that the itch to play professional basketball may never leave her, but said that she is pleased to be coaching now.

“I am happy coaching,” Palmer said. “I’m learning a lot and it’s a lot of fun working with the girls and coach Mitchell. I want to be a head coach. There’s a lot of different things I want to do. I want to give back through the game of basketball.”