Strack Chosen to Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s basketball junior center Clara Strack was picked to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List, it was announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. The Wildcat was on the top-10 finalist list for the prestigious honor in 2024-25.

It is the program’s seventh individual acknowledgement thus far this preseason, also including:

Clara Strack (Photo by Jamie H. Vaught)

Clara Strack – Preseason All-SEC Second Team by the Media

Strack – Preseason All-SEC Second Team by the Coaches

Strack – Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List

Strack – Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List

Teonni Key – Preseason All-SEC Second Team by the Coaches

Jordan Obi – Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List

Tonie Morgan – Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List

Last season, Strack played and started in all 31 games, averaging 15.4 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game (second in the SEC), 2.5 assists per game, 2.4 blocks per game (first in the SEC) and 0.8 steals per game.

She set Kentucky’s single-season school records in both blocks (73) and blocks per game (2.4). She also set Kentucky’s single-game school record for blocks in a game with eight at Ole Miss on Feb. 10.

The Wildcat, who was named a finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award last season, had 15 double-doubles on the season, which ranked fourth in the league and 26th in the nation in the final statistics.

Strack was the leading rebounder in a trio of Wildcats – coined The Triplets – that were all averaging more than 9.0 rebounds per game at one point last season, just the fifth trio in DI women’s basketball history to set that benchmark.

The Buffalo, New York, native shot 48.8 percent from the field, good for eighth in the league, and 78.6 percent from the line, which was ninth in the league. She also added 17 3s on the season, including going 3-of-5 from the arc in a ranked win at Oklahoma on Feb. 2.

Strack concluded the regular season with a combined 46 points, 23 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in a record triumph over No. 11/11 Tennessee and a late nailbiter at No. 6/6 South Carolina.

The Wildcat scored double digits in 26-of-31 games last season, including 17 15+ point games and nine 20+ point games.

Strack also has dished out multiple assists in 21-of-31 games last season, including a career-high eight assists against NKU on Nov. 7.

She was the only NCAA DI women’s basketball player to do each of the following at least once in a game last season (25 pts, 16 rbs, eight asts, eight blks, five stls, 3 3FGM).

She also became the only SEC player since at least 2002-03 – and the first NCAA DI player since 2009-10 – to have at least 429 pts, 266 rbs, 76 asts, 70 blks and 20 stls in a regular season. She became the only SEC player since at least 2002-03 to have at least 236 pts, 150 rbs, 41 blks, 35 asts and 12 stls in a SEC regular season.

No. 24/20 Kentucky will tip off their season against Morehead State on Monday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET in Historic Memorial Coliseum. To celebrate the season opener and its 12 school records snapped last season, the program will be giving out vinyl record magnets at the entrance, while supplies last.