LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky women's basketball star Clara Strack has been named the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week for the first time in her college career, the organization announced Monday.
According to a press release, the 6'5" center from Buffalo, New York, led the Wildcats to back-to-back Southeastern Conference victories while averaging 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game. She shot 50.0 percent from inside the arc during that stretch.
The release states that Strack's standout performance came Sunday against No. 14/16 Ole Miss, where she recorded 28 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and an assist to help Kentucky defeat the Rebels inside Historic Memorial Coliseum. The junior became the first Kentucky player to record at least 28 points and nine rebounds against an Associated Press Top 15 team since Rhyne Howard accomplished the feat against No. 12 Mississippi State on Jan. 3, 2021.
"Ten of her points came on 5-of-10 shooting in the fourth quarter to keep the Rebels from closing the gap," according to the release. She also went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in that game.
The performance marked Strack's sixth 20-plus point game of the season, which leads the team.
Prior to facing Ole Miss, Strack helped the Wildcats defeat Texas A&M with her 13th double-double of the season, recording 17 points and 13 rebounds along with three blocks and two assists.
Strack is closing in on her own single-season school record for blocks. Her 71 blocks this season put her just two away from breaking the record of 73 she set as a sophomore in 2024-25. She is the only player in program history to record two seasons with at least 70 blocks, according to the release.
Her 71 blocks and 2.63 blocks per game both rank third in the country.
According to the release, for the 2025-26 season, Strack is averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.62 blocks, 1.96 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. She is the only player in the country averaging all of those statistics, demonstrating her versatility on both ends of the court.
Strack has recorded multiple assists in 17 of 27 games this season and is a candidate for both the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
