What About a Fifth Year for Clara Strack at UK?

How nice would it be for Kentucky women’s basketball to have All-American center Clara Strack back for a fifth year?

The new rule that allows college athletes to be able to play for five consecutive years if they choose to do so would give Strack the option to return to Kentucky despite this being her traditional senior season.

Bleacher Report already has Strack, the SEC’s leading shot blocker the last two years, as a first-round pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft. But she could opt to return to UK for another year to raise her draft status or maybe UK could find a way to make it more financially rewarding for her to stay at UK than to go to the WNBA.

“Everything is changing, so I think that’s something people saw coming,” said Strack Tuesday when asked about the 5-in-5 option.said of the 5-in-5 rule. “It’s obviously a huge change — kind of crazy — but it definitely gives people options. I think that’s a good thing, to have that option.”

Obviously Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks would welcome her return. However, he gave the perfect answer Tuesday about that potential scenario putting what would be best for Strack over what would benefit Kentucky the most.

“She and I just sat down and talked, and I said, ‘Hey look, let’s just go out and have a great year this year and see where the chips lay. You do have the option, you do have the opportunity if you want to come back, but you also have the option to turn pro. Let’s just worry about it when it happens,’” Brooks said Tuesday.

He’s right. The best case scenario for Kentucky would be for Strack to have an even better year and be so impressive that she jumps into a top 10 spot in the 2027 WNBA Draft.

Brooks knows the “ever-changing landscape” in college sports makes it impossible to predict what might happen.

“It used to be 10 years ago somebody would call and say what do you need for the ’27 class, and I could tell you we needed two players, we needed three players. Now, when they call and say what do you need for the ’27 class, I’ll say, ‘I’ll let you know in ’27. We might need 15, I don’t know.’

“You have to focus on the now, and if you take care of business, then everything will work out for later. With these young ladies, we’ve talked about it a little bit — just explaining to them what’s actually happening — we haven’t talked about their individual situations.”

Guard Asia Boone transferred from Liberty to Kentucky for her junior season. Many expected she would be a backup guard and role player. Instead, she became the starting two guard and put up better numbers than she had at Liberty despite playing against better competition.

The fifth-year option could be perfect for her unless she has an incredible year to put her on the draft radar.

“Honestly, I’m not really worried about it,” Boone said Tuesday. “It opens up options for people, but for me personally, this is my home. I love it here. I’m happy. I’m honestly just focused on this next year, my senior year with the girls that I’m playing with now.

This is such a special group. I want to take into account that last year was a very special group as well, so I’m just trying to be present in the moment and everything I can create with these girls.”

Brooks added that last year Boone had no aspirations about being a pro player. Now she does.

“She’s talking about being a professional and what she has to do. So she could possibly take that fifth year and do it,” Brooks said.