Eight letters are embroidered on the front of every Kentucky Wildcats basketball jersey.

When a player wears “Kentucky” across their chest, it represents all the blood, sweat and tears that every player, both from the past and in the future, has or will put into making UK one of the most well-known basketball schools worldwide. 

While the term ‘blue blood’ typically refers to elite basketball programs across the country, for Cassidy Rowe, it represents her pride in wearing Kentucky blue.

Her emotional connection to the program is evident in her words: ‘I’m a Kentucky girl through and through.”

Growing up 155 miles southeast of Lexington, Rowe knew what Kentucky basketball was all about and knew it was the team she wanted to play for.

When former Kentucky Head Coach Matthew Mitchell gave her the opportunity, she wasted no time announcing her commitment to play for the Wildcats as a fourteen-year-old freshman. Kentucky was the only college she had ever visited officially.

Her high school career was a test of resilience. At the time of her commitment, Rowe was rehabbing an ACL tear on her right knee during her freshman season. Unfortunately for her, this wouldn’t be the last time.

A year later, after countless hours of rehab, she returned to the court the summer before her sophomore season, where she once again tore her ACL, but this time in her left knee.

Her junior year did not come any easier, as she had to deal with her season getting pushed back due to COVID-19, as well as the resignation of Mitchell, her would-be future coach who gave her a scholarship despite her injuries. Mitchell opted to step down due to health issues after an accident.

Once her junior season had finally begun, she suffered a rib injury, further adding to her challenges.

Now, to make matters worse, Rowe was unsure what her future could look like. 

Not only had she not played at 100% for most of her high school career, but she had also lost the coach who had offered her at her dream school.

With all these uncertainties, one thing remained clear: Kentucky was her home, and nothing could stop her from representing the blue and white. 

Rowe came to Lexington with high hopes for new head coach Kyra Elzy, who honored Mitchell’s offer, but her expectations were far from met.

The program’s inconsistencies and lack of production led the Wildcats to an underwhelming 12-19 record — 2-14 in the SEC — making them the second-worst team in the conference.

The following season played out even worse, with the Cats going 12-20 (4-12 in the SEC). With only two seasons under her belt, Elzy was relieved of her duties.

In the following weeks, every single player from the 2023-24 roster had entered the portal to leave or graduated. Every single player besides two: Rowe and teammate Saniah Tyler.

Once again, through all the rough circumstances, her loyalty to Kentucky prevailed and, luckily for her, a new head coach was on the way. One who planned to make Kentucky women’s basketball more successful than it had ever been.

It only took fifteen days for the head coaching position to be filled, and the program could not have asked for anyone better. 

Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech’s head coach, was announced as Kentucky women’s basketball’s ninth-ever head coach.

From the start of his tenure, Brooks made his message of success very clear and has set a new level of expectations for success in the program. Expectations that haven’t been fulfilled in a while.

“Kentucky is Kentucky,” Brooks said. “That’s why I came here: to have an opportunity to be part of a blue blood and to be able to go and compete on a national stage consistently. That’s something that I desire as a competitor.”

While the news excited all of Big Blue Nation, Rowe was left filled with another, familiar, feeling: doubt. 

“I knew there was a chance that he could not want me to stay, so I just had that in mind,” Rowe said.

When Brooks arrived in Lexington, he immediately contacted all the players not yet committed elsewhere for meetings. While most meetings went as expected, with players confirming they would not return, his meeting with Rowe went very differently. 

“When I met with each and every player from last year’s team, some of them were already in the portal and Cassidy, she started talking about her experiences here,” Brooks explained. “I swore when she started crying, it was blue tears, and I’m like, ‘Man, this kid had me.’ She had me at, ‘Hello,’ just because she knew how much she loved Kentucky.”

The story just further proved the already well-known idea across Lexington: Rowe is Kentucky’s sweetheart, and she never planned on being anything else.

When asked about their meeting, Rowe explained what she had done to leave such a lasting impression on Brooks. 

“I just poured out my heart and said, ‘You know, this is my home state, and it’s always been my dream to play for Kentucky,’” she said. 

In the end, that was all Brooks needed to hear before he knew, too, that she embodied everything he wanted in a player, which went far beyond just her talent.

“What she may lack in height or anything else, she makes up for it with her pride for Kentucky,” he said.

Rowe grew up in a small town with big dreams of playing for the school she had watched all her life. At 22 years old, she has achieved her dream and intends to leave a lasting impact on the program and the fans who follow it. 

Her dedication and resilience have not only set a standard for all future players, but they have created a permanent legacy for her.

Regardless of how the 2024-25 season goes for Rowe or the Cats, Virgie’s own has already secured a spot in the heart of Kentucky fans everywhere, just like she did with her head coach.