MORGANTOWN — The idea of asking Clara Strack to develop an outside shot, Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks admits, came simply from observation.
“When we were at (Virginia) Tech, I remember the first weekend they came in,” Brooks said. “It was five freshmen and they were all in the gym messing around. Everybody else we had recruited were guards, so they were just jacking up 3-point shots.”
Strack, who stands 6-foot-5, well, she was there throwing up long distance shots, too.
“I kept noticing to myself, well, she’s making just as many as the others,” Brooks said. “We’re going to add that to her game.”
That was two seasons ago at Virginia Tech. Brooks was hired by Kentucky in 2024 and Strack followed him through the transfer portal.
In her two seasons with the Wildcats, Strack hasn’t exactly lit it up beyond the arc, but that hasn’t stopped her from attempting 171 3-pointers in those two seasons heading into Monday’s game against No. 11 West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
“I didn’t really shoot outside much in high school, but it’s something we’ve worked on since I first got to campus,” said Strack, who had 10 points and 14 rebounds against James Madison on Saturday, but was 0 for 1 from 3-point range. “Since I got (to Kentucky), I’ve been shooting it consistently.
“Coach Brooks has put a lot of confidence in my shot, so when the opportunity is there, I will take them.”
On the season, Strack is 23 of 96 from beyond the arc. She did bury five 3-pointers against Georgia in the SEC tournament. In terms of trying to find what may be the 16th-ranked Wildcats’ biggest mismatch against the Mountaineers, if Strack is able to stretch the floor and begin to hit some outside shots, that just may be it.
“She’s a little, I think an exception to the rule,” WVU head coach Mark Kellogg said. “With her talents at 6-5, and has the best of ability to play all over from the 3-point line all the way in. You don’t see that a whole lot. That’s very rare.”
Brooks said he felt it was important for Strack to develop an outside shot to help her career at the professional level.
“I’ve taken a beating sometimes, because people say I let her shoot too many threes,” Brooks said. “It’s part of a bigger picture, and part of that picture is Clara going to the WNBA one day.
“If she’s going to play and stick, she’s going to have to learn to shoot from the outside.”
Getting defensive
Monday’s game will feature two semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in Strack, as well as WVU guard Jordan Harrison.
“That did come into my mind a little bit (Saturday),” said Harrison, who has already been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and enters Monday’s matchup with 106 steals this season. “I saw her play a little bit and she can obviously block shots and plays good defense.
“Our defenses are two different things. I’m on the ball getting steals and she’s blocking shots.
“It’s not really a comparison to me. I’m going to do my thing and, hopefully, she’s not doing her thing.”
By the numbers
1-3: WVU’s all-time record against Kentucky. The two schools haven’t played since 2021. Kentucky hadn’t played inside Hope Coliseum before until Saturday’s 71-56 victory against James Madison.
6.6: Number of blocked shots Kentucky averages per game, which leads the nation.
1-15: WVU’s all-time record in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
