Asia Boone Becoming a Major Force for No. 6 Kentucky
- Jan 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 6
By Jamie H. Vaught
As you may remember, when the Liberty Flames visited Lexington for the NCAA Women’s Tournament last March to face Kentucky, they had a two-year starter by the name of 5-foot-8 guard Asia Boone.
But she didn’t play much against the Wildcats because of a foot injury, finishing with one point and one rebound in only five minutes of action.
“We certainly could have used her today, but her health and her future is more important than just to win a ball game,” said Liberty coach Carey Green of the two-time All-CUSA guard moments after UK won in a 79-78 thriller.
Interestingly, it was Boone’s
last game as a Liberty standout and she soon entered her name
in the transfer portal. And she ended up signing with Kentucky
in less than a month after her appearance at Historic Memorial Coliseum.
UK coach Kenny Brooks had seen enough of Boone so he encouraged her to join the
Wildcats. He also had coached against her older sister many years ago.
While at Liberty, Boone was a major contributor as she started every game during her two years at the Lynchburg school in Virginia, averaging around 10 points. She also hit 37 percent of three-point field goals. Boone once gunned in a career-high 25 points at Texas-El Paso, including six three-pointers, as a freshman.
In addition, she earned CUSA’s Freshman of the Year honors
Before coming to Liberty, the San Diego native played her senior year of high school at IMG Academy in Florida. She was a member of the National Honor Society.
Boone, whose nickname is “AB,” has been a very solid addition for the 15-1 Wildcats, now ranked No. 6 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, as a combo guard, seeing lots of action. Going into Thursday night’s game at Alabama, the junior is averaging 10.3 points in 16 games while starting two games.
Serving primarily as the team’s sixth man (or sixth woman), Boone is a sharpshooter, hitting 37.5 percent of three-point field goals (45 of 120). And she doesn’t make many mistakes, committing only 16 turnovers.
“She has the ability to stretch the floor with her three-point shooting and her basketball IQ is through the roof,” said Brooks.
In Kentucky’s 80-78 upset win over LSU in Baton Rouge last week, Boone came off the bench and pumped in 18 points while hitting 5 of 13 three-pointers. In 35 minutes of action, she had three assists along with zero turnovers.
Boone is learning her new position as a point guard, helping starting point guard
Tonie Morgan..
“My first conversation with the coach was that he was going to put me in a new position right off the bat, and that being point guard,” said Boone. “He kept reminding me to embrace the change even when my confidence was low and that the more versatile I can be as a player, the more minutes I can play.”
Brooks is also pleased with Boone’s recent improvement on defense.
“Asia, in particular, her and Tonie (Morgan) have gotten so much better since the beginning of the season on the ball defense, and they played in a way that they know that they have help on the backside,” he said. ”That’s part of the understanding of who you are as a basketball team. So, I think we have a chance to be really good on the defensive end.”
Added Boone, “What I focus on before games is control what I can control, and that’s defense, trying to get boards, and just doing my job. When my defense is good, it translates to good offense, so just building that confidence.
“Also, getting energy from the girls, that builds my confidence and encourages me to keep shooting. Coach was telling me to keep staying aggressive and also playing as who I am.”
On Morgan running the point guard, Boone commented, “Tonie and I have gotten really close. Needing to be with each other on where we’re supposed to be, whether that’s in certain plays and just figuring each other out. Communicating, and getting each other in the spots for our teammates too, because not only are we facilitating, but we have to know everything and I have to know two positions.
"It’s been great working with Tonie, working with the girls. It’s been a relief and really a great experience to continue with it and get the chemistry going. We’re working together to get these wins, preparing each other and the team for the SEC, and we’ve got a lot of passion and heart for the game.”
As you may recall, it was Morgan who made the game-winning three-point basket as UK edged LSU. She finished with a team-high 24 points and a game-high 12 assists. Morgan earlier this week was named the National Player of the Week.
Boone’s family, by the way, has a military background. Her parents are Navy veterans. Asia also has 40 flight hours and has even done emergency landings in planes.
As for her future, Boone said she wants to be a pilot some day after her basketball career ends.
Sounds like a good plan. If Boone can guide the Wildcats, she certainly can pilot an airplane.
Jamie H. Vaught, a longtime sports columnist in Kentucky, is the author of seven
books about UK basketball, including newly published “Unforgettable Journey with
the Cats: Inside Kentucky Hoops Madness.” Now a retired college professor who
taught at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Middlesboro, he is
the editor and founder of KySportsStyle.com Magazine. You can follow him on X
(formerlyTwitter) @KySportsStyle or reach him via email at
