Two Signings for UK Women, Greenway Will Be Next Week

Maddyn Greenway (UK Athletics Photo)

ESPN has Kentucky with the fourth-best recruiting class in women’s basketball behind Southern Cal, Duke and Notre Dame and ahead of Clemson, Indiana, Tennessee, UConn, South Carolina and  North Carolina.

Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks has commitments from two top 10 players — No. 9 Savvy Swords and No. 10 Maddyn Greenway— along with top 25 player Emily McDonald, Swords’ high school teammate.

Greenway, a five-star point guard from Minnesota, committed to  UK over Stanford, UCLA, Duke, Clemson and Iowa. Her mother was a track star at Iowa and her father played linebacker there before going to the NFL to become a star for the Minnesota Vikings.

Swords, a Canadian, plays at Long Island Lutheran (NY) and picked UK over UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Michigan where her sister, Syla, plays.  McDonald committed to UK after Swords. Last season as a junior, McDonald averaged 12.7 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game, 2.1 steals per game and 1.4 blocks per game en route to helping her team to as high as a No. 4 ranking in the nation.

While Kentucky announced Thursday that Swords and McDonald had signed with Kentucky.

Greenway, who could become the all-time leading scorer in Minnesota girls high school basketball this season, plans to sign Monday. She is one of the nation’s elite athletes as she is also a multiple state track champion and became Minnesota’s all-time leading soccer scorer with 218 career goals while helping her team win a second straight state title this year.

Her younger sister, Beckett, was also first team all-state in soccer and had 42 points. Beckett also started on the state championship basketball team last year as an eighth-grader.

Swords and McDonald originally planned to wait until the spring to sign because Swords is with Team Canada but signed Thursday.

“Savvy is a tough, skilled forward that will contribute to our team immediately. She is a great rebounder, shooter and has a high basketball IQ. She will look great in the blue and white!” Brooks said.