Kenny Brooks has made his first big splash as the Kentucky’s women’s basketball coach.
On Monday, the program officially announced former Virginia Tech point guard Georgia Amoore is transferring to Kentucky to follow her former coach to Lexington.
“I am elated to add Georgia to our roster at Kentucky,” Brooks said in a statement Monday. “Her work ethic and accomplishments add credibility as we try to build Kentucky into a contender. Our experiences together will help to make a smoother transition and I can’t wait for BBN to experience her passion for the game!”
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The Australian native is a big pickup for Brooks as he builds his program in Lexington, as she is not just familiar with his system but is one of the nation’s top point guards. She was named one of five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top women’s point guard, this season while picking up her second All-ACC First Team honors.
During her four year starting career with the Hokies, Amoore became Virginia Tech’s all-time career leader in assists (656), second in 3-pointers (330) and third in scoring (1,853). Amoore — who was a projected first-round pick in the WNBA draft — will use her COVID-19 extra year of eligibility to play for the Wildcats and Brooks.
Here’s what you need to know about Amoore and why she transferred to Kentucky:
Why did Georgia Amoore transfer to Kentucky?
When Brooks left Virginia Tech for the Kentucky job, speculations started to build that Amoore would be following her former coach from Blacksburg, Virginia to Lexington. These assumptions only grew after she entered the portal — two days after Brooks was hired at Kentucky, not giving Brooks’ replacement at VA Tech, Marquette’s Megan Duffy, a chance to retain her— and had a “do not contact” message next to her name.
Amoore, who had a career season this past year under Brooks with the Hokies which included All-ACC First Team honors, has a very close relationship with Brooks — another inclination that she was going to transfer to Kentucky if she didn’t enter the WNBA draft, which she didn’t.
“I came here and I trusted Coach Brooks 110% even when I didn’t trust in myself. It’s paid off immensely. I couldn’t be more grateful for our time together. I took a chance (on Virginia Tech) and I’m very very grateful that I did because I’ve got him for life now,” Amoore said following the Hokies’ second round loss to Baylor in the NCAA Tournament.
“This is my second dad, seriously. … I am fearful that we are the same person. I’m a 23-year old-woman and I think I act a little too much like him. … That’s my American dad. We’ve been through some tough times. We’ve been through some great times. It’s a relationship that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I know that I always have him and I love him to death.”
Now at Kentucky, Amoore will look to help Brooks rebuild the Wildcats program after it went 12-20 last season. But first, she will look to make the Australian Olympic team for this summer’s Paris Olympic Games as she was one of 26 players invited to Australia’s Olympic training camp back on March 27.
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Georgia Amoore stats
Amoore is coming off a career year during her senior year at Virginia Tech this year. The 5-foot-6 guard shot a career-best 41.2% from the floor while averaging a career-high in points and assists per game at 18.8 and 6.8 respectively.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Amoore’s stats during her four years at Virginia Tech:
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Career: 1,853 total points, 656 total assists, 330 total rebounds, 14.7 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, 39.6% shooting from the field and 36.1% shooting from beyond the arc
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2023-24: 602 total points, 218 total assists, 84 total rebounds, 18.8 points per game, 6.8 assists per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, 41.2% shooting from the field and 33.5% shooting from beyond the arc
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2022-23: 588 total points, 178 total assists, 107 total rebounds, 16.3 points per game, 4.9 assists per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, 37.9% shooting from the field and 34.5% shooting from beyond the arc
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2021-22: 368 total points, 145 total assists, 79 total rebounds, 11.2 points per game, 4.4 assists per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, 40.3% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from beyond the arc
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2020-21: 295 total points, 115 total assists, 60 total rebounds, 11.8 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, 38.9% shooting from the field and 39.6% shooting from beyond the arc
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Georgia Amoore officially follows Kenny Brooks from Virginia Tech to Kentucky
