Ayanna Patterson could develop into an elite player at Kentucky with more opportunity

Ayanna Patterson committed to UConn as the No. 4 player in the 2022 recruiting class (ESPN) and was poised to be a big part of a championship culture in Storrs under Geno Auriemma. However, injuries have riddled her collegiate career thus far. She missed the entire 2023-24 season due to knee injury, and she missed the following year with a shoulder injury.

Patterson played in 30 of UConn’s 39 games this past year, logging one start as she averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in five minutes per contest. Her lone start was against Providence on Senior Day, but she only played two minutes against the Friars. The 6-foot-2 forward just couldn’t really ever get things going at UConn, which led to her signing with Kentucky out of the transfer portal.

According to Kenny Brooks‘ statement following her signing, Patterson is “fully healthy now”, which means we can probably expect her to get more run at Kentucky than she had ever received at UConn. With extra opportunity both in practice and potentially in games, Patterson could be a key part of the next two years in Lexington.

Patterson brings a level of athleticism that we haven’t quite seen yet under Brooks. She started dunking the ball when she was around 16 years old. Obviously, we shouldn’t expect her to be Dominique Wilkins out on the court, but her athletic ability could be of tremendous use on both ends of the floor, and if Big Blue Nation can be treated to a dunk or a few, then that only adds to the fun.

One of the bigger aspects of the game that will be very important is how well she fits within Brooks’ defensive system. If she can hold her own against some of the top forwards in the SEC, then she should be able to find consistent minutes. Her offensive game will almost certainly need some polishing as well, but Patterson can’t be a liability on defense at Kentucky.

Fortunately, Kentucky has players like Me’Arah O’Neal and Clara Strack who can help her out a ton, but if Patterson gets switched onto someone like Texas’ Madison Booker, for example, she has to be able to limit her — not stop her completely because that’s a near-impossible task — but don’t let her go off for 20 points.

On offense, it’ll just be a matter of her being able to create for herself. Can she consistently get to the hoop? Can she maybe extend her range some? Can she fight for rebounds and give Kentucky another leg up on the glass? Those are the questions that will be answered in due time, and with more opportunity, Patterson could start to be more like the former top five player that she was coming out of high school.

Want more Kentucky WBB Coverage? Join KSR+

If you’ve ever been curious about KSR+, our premium sister site, now is the time to try it out. We’re doubling down our efforts to bring you bonus coverage of the Cats and the intel and analysis you can’t get anywhere else. Subscribe now for an inside look at an exciting offseason for Kenny Brooks and the Kentucky women’s basketball program, along with access to KSBoard and House of Blue, the most vibrant message board communities in BBN. Join the club and try KSR+ out for $1 AND get your first year for 50% off!