She averaged 9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg in final five games of 2023-24
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program inked a 6-5 center to its incoming class, head coach Kenny Brooks announced Tuesday. Clara Strack, a transfer out of Virginia Tech, will join the program as a sophomore in 2024-25.
“I’m very excited to add Clara to our roster at Kentucky,” Brooks said. “She had a very productive freshman year, capped off with a tremendous postseason showing. She demonstrated her potential after playing behind an All-American for a full year, and I believe she’s going to be a fantastic addition to BBN.”
Clara Strack
6-5 | Center | Buffalo, N.Y. | Hamburg High School
Clara Strack averaged 9.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game in her final five games as a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2023-24. During that stretch, she shot 57.5 percent from the field, while adding 2.2 blocks per game and 1.2 assists per game in 25.4 minutes per game.
Her increase in playing time and surge in production came after Elizabeth Kitley, her All-America center teammate, suffered a season-ending knee injury against Virginia on March 3.
Strack continued to help fill the gap in the NCAA Tournament, recording 17 points on 7-of-7 from the field, five rebounds, four blocks and two assists to help Virginia Tech defeat Marshall in the first round. She followed that up with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks against Baylor in the second round.
Overall for the Hokies, she played in all 33 games and made two starts at center. She averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds during the season, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor and protecting the rim with 39 blocks.
Strack arrived in Blacksburg as the 95th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN HoopGurlz. She played club ball for Team Exodus NYC EYBL, while she also played four years at Hamburg High School under Amy Steger. She was named the New York State Sportswriters Association Player of the Year after averaging 24.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 2.3 steals as a senior in high school in 2022-23. That same season, she broke her high school’s 22-year-old, all-time career scoring record – both girls and boys – with her 1,384th point.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
