From James Madison to Virginia Tech, Kenny Brooks has brought success wherever he’s been. His first season at Kentucky was no different. A 23-8 record, 11 new players, 11 new coaches, and the program’s first 20-win season since 2019-20—Brooks wasted no time in establishing his culture. His efforts were so impactful that he was named Sporting News National Coach of the Year. But in the process of rebuilding, reshaping, and reloading, Brooks may have lost one of Kentucky’s most beloved players.
Earlier today, Cassidy Rowe announced her retirement from basketball. After three seasons in a Kentucky uniform, over 60 games played, more than 100 points scored, and 60 assists dished out, she made it official—her playing career was over. But not because she wanted it to be.
“I wasn’t expecting this to be a goodbye post,” the junior guard wrote on Instagram. “I wanted nothing more than to play my senior year in a Kentucky uniform, but I know that God has bigger and better plans for me. Sometimes ‘no’ is God’s way of preventing us from greater heartbreak.”
Instead of transferring for her final year of eligibility, Rowe is choosing a different path—one that leads her to Kentucky’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. It’s a bittersweet moment. But the reality of Rowe’s departure is still murky. Officially, she’s retiring. Unofficially? Many believe she was pushed out.
Jenna Lifshen, head of KyKernelSports, didn’t hold back in a now-deleted social media post.
“A very bad, bad look for Kenny Brooks. It’ll be hard for him to defend a ‘family’-built program when cutting players like Cass—the hometown hero who was essential to introducing him and his team to Kentucky culture,” she penned on X.
The statement hit hard. A player like Cassidy Rowe doesn’t seem like one to walk away. “My very first love” is how she describes basketball. She has overcome two ACL tears before her sophomore year of high school, weathered 2 coaching changes, and spent years fighting for minutes. And it’s not like Brooks himself hasn’t recognized her dedication.
During Kentucky’s media day, Brooks recalled his first meeting with Rowe. “Some of them were already in the portal. And Cassidy, when she started talking about her experiences here, I swore when she started crying, it was blue tears… And I’m asking her why. And you know, she stuttered and stammered a little bit. And that was enough for me.”
A reminder of what Kenny Brooks said about Cassidy during media day. pic.twitter.com/DaIIYVMf0Q
— Jenna Lifshen (@jensreporting) March 30, 2025
For a coach who preaches culture, Rowe was the perfect fit. “She was just everything. You know, she cried, she talked about it. And she’s been great here, you know, and what she may lack in height or anything else, she makes up for it with her pride of Kentucky.” While this was when Brooks came up, Rowe’s story at Kentucky began long before she arrived on campus.
She originally committed to former head coach Matthew Mitchell before staying through Kyra Elzy’s tenure. When Elzy was fired, she didn’t run. As a freshman, she barely saw the floor. The sophomore season was one of the better ones. The guard averaged 2.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists through 17.4 minutes per game. She even led the team in charges taken (20+ in 31 games!). But as Brooks built his roster, Rowe’s role shrank once again. This past season, her minutes dipped to 10.9 per game.
While Cass retired, Saniah Tyler entered the transfer portal shortly after the season ended. And now, the Wildcats enter Year 2 under Kenny Brooks with a new identity. No homegrown stars.
Kenny Brooks loses key pieces; eyes on transfer portal
It wasn’t just Cassidy Rowe’s performance that stood out—it was her mentality. The guard’s role fluctuated throughout her time at Kentucky. Some nights, she played heavy minutes. Others, she barely saw the floor. But regardless of how much time she got, her effort never changed.
“The way she’s handled everything, it has been tremendous because I think she played like, what, two minutes the other night [against Louisville], and she came back the next day, and we had practice, the starters didn’t play at all in practice, and she led her team,” the HC said. But the Wildcats will have to go without that for the next year. To add to the sting, she isn’t the only cherished Wildcat leaving.
Georgia Amoore and Dazia Lawrence will be loosing their eligibility. Additionally, freshman guard Tanah Becker, 6-foot-7 center Clara Silva, and Tyler, the only other Wildcat who survived the coaching change, have all entered transfer portal. Brooks is now left with a difficult task to fill his roster. For now, he is said to be eyeing Western Kentucky guard Josie Gilvin and has already signed four-star recruit Kaelyn Carroll.
After snapping the 3-year NCAA Tournament drought, the Wildcats are in the running again. It is a dagger to lose players at such a key stage. It remains for Brooks to recover and sustain the national prominence he has managed to establish.
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