Kentucky women's basketball adds former Indiana HS star in transfer portal

Kentucky women's basketball adds former Indiana HS star in transfer portal

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on during warmups before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on during warmups before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: The Texas Longhorns band performs before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Kentucky women's basketball plays Texas in NCAA Sweet 16

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Kentucky women's basketball plays Texas in NCAA Sweet 16

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Kentucky women's basketball plays Texas in NCAA Sweet 16

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on during warmups before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Kentucky women's basketball plays Texas in NCAA Sweet 16

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: Kaelyn Carroll #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on during warmups before the game against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Kentucky women's basketball plays Texas in NCAA Sweet 16

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 28: The Texas Longhorns band performs before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Dickies Arena on March 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

A promising career hampered by injuries in college will be reborn elsewhere, hoping to breed new life into the 2022 Indiana Miss Basketball winner.

Ayanna Patterson spent the previous four seasons with UConn women's basketball, two of which were spent rehabbing from injuries (patella tendinitis, shoulder). Patterson was on the Huskies' 2025 national championship team, and played in 55 games during her time in Connecticut. But Patterson entered the transfer portal, and found greener pastures.

Patterson, a Fort Wayne native and Homestead's second-leading scorer all time (1,912 points), elected to spend her third season of eligibility at Kentucky. Wildcats coach Kenny Brooks has a track record developing post players and will get an opportunity to do so with a former five-star recruit.

Brooks developed Elizabeth Kitley into a three-time ACC player of the year and two-time All-American at Virginia Tech, where he began doing the same with Clara Strack before he took the job at UK, and Strack later followed. Strack is a former top-100 recruit who played behind Kitley before starting the previous two seasons at Kentucky. She developed into SEC defensive player of the year, an All American and a Naismith national defensive player of the year finalist.

The 6-foot-2 Patterson will vie for playing time alongside the 6-5 Strack, one of the top returning posts in the country.

"The Lisa Leslie (finalists) for the top centers in the country, there are five on that list right now, and four of them are seniors," Brooks said after the season. "The one that's coming back is coming back to us, so that gives you a leg up right there. We have to surround her with some really good players.

"And we will."

Patterson played in 28 games in the 2025-26 season, and averaged 1.7 points (51.6% FG) and 1.4 rebounds. She is expected to earn her undergraduate degree this semester before moving closer to home. But she left a lasting impression on her UConn teammates, and Azzi Fudd even brought Patterson to tears.

"Even though it doesn't always show on the court — she doesn't get the most playing time in the world — she comes every single day and we can rely on her to get that rebound, to get that loose ball, the hustle play that we need," Fudd said, seated next to Patterson. "No matter how many minutes she gets, she comes in and gives it her all.

"I just want to make that public announcement because she doesn't get the attention that she deserves," she continued, "but she is one of the best teammates to play with because she's going to run through a wall for you."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ayanna Patterson commits to UK women's basketball, Kenny Brooks