Kenny Brooks secured another addition to the Kentucky women’s basketball roster on May 18 with the commitment of 19-year-old Swedish center Elsa Vadfors.

Vadfors, who currently plays for Uppsala Basket, a Swedish professional basketball club, stands 6-foot-5 and brings added height to the frontcourt alongside 6-foot-5 Clara Strack and 6-foot-4 Teonni Key.

Her size and length immediately bolster the post for the Wildcats after losing 6-foot-7 center Clara Silva to the transfer portal after the season ended.

“I’m so happy to announce that I’ve committed to the University of Kentucky! Thank you to Coach Brooks and the entire Kentucky coaching staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Go Wildcats!” Vadfors posted on X.

As a member of Sweden’s 2024 FIBA Under-18 Women’s EuroBasket team, she averaged 1.7 points and 2.8 rebounds over six games. Though there is limited film available on her, Vadfors is known for her defensive instincts, rebounding ability and interior presence.

She arrives in Lexington with full NCAA eligibility and a high developmental ceiling, giving Brooks another long-term piece to build around.

With the roster nearly finalized, it is expected that Brooks will not make additional additions ahead of the 2025–26 season, leaving Vadfors and Strack as the team’s primary centers.

After suffering a brutal sweep to No. 9 Vanderbilt this past weekend, the Wildcats will look ahead to the SEC Tournament, one they must succeed in if they want to guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 13 seeded Wildcats will take on the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday, May 20, a team they recently swept in Lexington. The game will take place 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Alabama and Missouri matchup, which is slated for 10:30 a.m. ET.

After receiving the lowest seed in the conference tourney of the Nick Mingione era, Kentucky will have to scratch and claw its way forward, proving it is better than what the 13-17 conference record indicates.

Not only will the Wildcats lean on Tyler Bell, who nearly hit .500 in the series against Vanderbilt and scored five runs, but will need, no require, a complete team effort in order to make a run.

Kentucky has held a multiple-run leads in nine of its 17 conference losses, and has led in 90% of conference games at one point. The Wildcats’ early-game performances scream a near 40-win season, but failure to close games out is a clear indication to why they sit at just 29 wins.

It is a problem that needs solving now, especially when this year’s conference tournament is single elimination. You lose, you’re done.

Kentucky is certainly not a lock, although is slated to be a No. 3 seed in the national tournament by multiple publications, and an early exit in Hoover, Alabama will certainly not help its case. 

UT Ryan Schwartz and LHP Cole Hentschel, who were listed on the injury report before the second game of the Vanderbilt series, remain out for Kentucky’s tournament opener.

After losing four games in a row, the Wildcats did a complete 180, winning four games in a row and reasserting themselves in every conversation they seemingly left.

Sweeping one of the top ranked teams in the nation surely did not come easy, but the Bat Cats defended Kentucky Proud Park against the Oklahoma Sooners from May 9-11 and later took down Northern Kentucky on May 13 by a score of 6-1.

Now, Kentucky looks ahead to a matchup with Vanderbilt, a top ten team in the nation, and has more than enough momentum to propel itself forward and gain a couple of conference wins to round out the season.

However, one scenario would be extremely daunting for the Wildcats, and that’s leaving Nashville without a single win. Then, that sets up a world where Kentucky will have to go on a deep run in the SEC Tournament to escape being in the bubble trap once again.

In the world of college baseball however, the Wildcats can win just one game this weekend and be “fine” heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Bat Cats are currently projected as a No. 2 seed in Baseball America’s Field of 64 projections.

Whether it’s another solid start from Nate Harris followed by a gem mound performance from Ethan Walker, or a strikeout-filled performance from Ben Cleaver, Kentucky will lean on the pitching staff to take advantage of Vanderbilt’s poor team hitting average (.267), which ranks 217th in the NCAA.

The Wildcats will kick off the series on Thursday, May 15, looking to win 30 games for the fourth consecutive season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.