It’s almost basketball time in the Bluegrass once again, and this year’s women’s team is ready to make a splash. This year comes fresh off the heels of an 18-9 season that abruptly came to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cats lost three seniors in the offseason, but in their place are four new transfers who are set to fill the void. With a mixture of experienced players and younger raw talent, the Wildcats have a lot of variety on their roster this season.

Meet the team:

Olivia Owens – 00

Year: Redshirt Junior

Hometown: Albany, New York

Position: Center

2020-2021 Stats:

-4.4 PPG

-2.8 RBG

-0.2 APG

About: At 6-foot-4, Owens is the tallest Wildcat on the roster and is likely to be a strong paint presence for opposing teams to worry about. The 2020 campaign was her first opportunity to show her skills in college. Her career has been hampered by injuries prior, so she’ll be looking to grow and build off of the year prior while filling a much needed role for the Cats.

Fun Fact: Owens racked up six points, three rebounds, and a steal all in the first five minutes of Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament game against Idaho State.

Robyn Benton – 1

Year: Senior

Hometown: Conyers, Georgia

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-6.6 PPG

-2.5 RBG

-1 APG

About: Benton, an Auburn transfer, had a strong junior year playing in all but one game for the Cats while averaging 18 minutes on the court. She has an aggressive style of play that will make her a strong asset on both offense and defense. She also led the Wildcats in assists twice and steals in four games last season. 

Fun Fact: Benton scored a season-high 15 points on her birthday at Rupp Arena last season against Alabama.

Jazmine Massengill – 3

Year: Senior

Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-5.1 PPG

-2.6 RPG

-3.3 APG

About: At an even six-foot, Massengill was a strong defender for the Wildcats in 2020 with 10 blocks and 17 steals on the season. She led the Wildcats in blocks three times and had one in the Cats tournament win over Idaho State. She proved to everyone that this former Lady Vol is a key piece of Kentucky’s team now, and that doesn’t look to change in her senior season.

Fun Fact: Massengill played AAU ball in Chattanooga with fellow Wildcat Rhyne Howard.

Blair Green – 5

Year: Senior

Hometown: Harlan County, Kentucky

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-5.7 PPG

-1.9 RPG

-0.8 APG

About: One of the few players on this year’s roster to play all 27 games last season, Green established herself as a key member of the Wildcats in 2020. She’s a versatile athlete with a high basketball IQ who is great from the perimeter while also able to create offense off the dribble. She shot 44 percent from the field in 2020, ensuring opposing defenses won’t be able to let their guard down while she’s on the court.

Fun Fact: Green was a finalist for Miss Kentucky Basketball in high school.

Rhyne Howard – 10

Year: Senior

Hometown: Cleveland, Tennessee

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-19.9 PPG

-6.8 RPG

-2.8 APG

About: One of the highest touted Wildcats going into the season, Howard’s statline speaks for itself. On top of that, she’s a gold medalist for Team USA’s U19 team, and has led the Wildcats in scoring 54 times, rebounding 46 times, assists 29 times, steals 30 times and blocking 31 times. Heads are going to turn when she gets on the court, and she will likely be one of the first picks in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

Fun Fact: Howard was unanimously named National Freshman of the Year after having one of the best rookie seasons in Kentucky history.

Jada Walker – 11

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

Position: Guard

2019-2020 Stats (High School Junior):

-26.3 PTS

-5.9 Steals per game

-54% from field

About: Kentucky’s lone freshman, Walker is an energetic point guard who should immediately bolster the depth of the team. She’s aggressive on both ends of the court with impressive stats on offense and defense. A proficient scorer, Walker shot 54 percent from the field her junior year and led her team to the Class B Championship game.

Fun Fact: Walker is the daughter of AnnMarie Gilbert, the current head coach for Detroit Mercy women’s basketball.

Treasure Hunt – 12

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-3.7 PPG

-2.1 RPG

-0.7 APG

About: Hunt is an athlete expected to take some strides this season. She had a strong freshman season for the Cats with two 10-plus double-figure scoring games and leading the team in assists, steals and blocks once each. Her versatility allows her to efficiently play and excel at multiple positions on the court. She’s looking to have a breakout sophomore season.

Fun Fact: Hunt helped lead the FBC United travel team to an undefeated league championship run on the Under Armour circuit.

Erin Toller – 20

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-2.2 PPG

-0.4 RPG

-0 APG

About: Though her stats don’t immediately pop off the page, Toller was a solid piece of the Wildcats’ roster in the five games she played in 2020. She was a strong 3-point shooter in high school, having made 84 shots from beyond the arc in her senior year and surpassing 1,000 total points across all four years. Toller can be expected to blossom into a somewhat bigger role this season with more minutes on the court and experience under her belt.

Fun Fact: Toller won two game MVP honors at the Battle of the Bridges Tournament.

Nyah Leveretter – 21

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Blythewood, South Carolina

Position: Forward

2020-2021 Stats:

-1 PPG

-1.9 RPG

-0.1 APG

About: Leveretter is another player who should make big strides this season. She averaged 10-plus rebounds per game in high school and led the Cats in rebounding against Marshall last season. She also has a 45 percent career shooting percentage, making her equally as dangerous away from the board. With more experience and training from the offseason, she should grow into a strong piece for this Wildcats team.

Fun Fact: On top of being a volleyball star in high school, she also led her basketball team to two state tournament final fours in South Carolina.

Emma King – 34

Year: Junior

Hometown: Stanford, Kentucky

Position: Guard

2020-2021 Stats:

-0.4 PPG

-1 RPG

-1 APG

About: One of the few in-state talents on the roster, King is a proficient free throw shooter, a skill which should be invaluable to the Wildcats in tight situations. She shot 83.9 percent from the line her senior year of high school, making 104 free throws out of 124. She was 2-2 from the line in Kentucky’s tournament game against Idaho State to make her free throw percentage 100 percent for 2020.

Fun Fact: King grew up a Kentucky fan and always dreamed of being a Wildcat one day.

Dre’Una Edwards – 44

Year: Redshirt Junior

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Position: Forward

2020-2021 Stats: 

-9.7 PPG

-6.1 RPG

-1.2 APG

About: Edwards displayed serious potential during the Cats’ tournament run. She scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in Kentucky’s win over Idaho State and also scored 16 points with five rebounds and three steals in their loss to Iowa in the second round. If she can maintain that level of play, she’ll become a real difference maker for the Wildcats.

Fun Fact: Edwards is a former PAC-12 Freshman of the Year from her tenure with the Utah Utes.