Clara Silva (FIBA Photo)
Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks knows to compete in the Southeastern Conference and to run the system he wants it requires a dominant post player.
He had one at Virginia Tech in three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kilter who was the 24th overall pick by Las Vegas in the second round of the WNBA Draft Monday.
Brooks hopes he has a similar type player now coming to join him at Kentucky in 6-6 Clara Silva of Portugal, a one-time Virginia Tech commit. She plays professionally for Unicaja Baloncesto in Malaga, Spain and averaged 18.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game at the European U-18 Championships.
Silva flipped her commitment to UK over Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisville, Maryland and others.
Brooks also picked up another transfer Monday when 6-4 Teonni Key of North Carolina announced she was headed to UK on social media.
She was a top 10 player in her recruiting class and a McDonald’s All-American. She missed her freshman season due to a knee injury and then averaged 2.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.1 minutes per game in 28 games her redshirt freshman season. Last year she averaged 2.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 9.4 minutes per game in 23 games.
Key was recruited by former UK coach Kyra Elzy before picking North Carolina.
