Kentucky women’s basketball adds an all-conference guard from the transfer portal

Dazia Lawrence is a Kentucky Wildcat.

Lawrence, former guard for Charlotte women’s basketball, announced her commitment to UK on Sunday.

“BBN, let’s get it!” she posted on social media.

The 5-foot-8 North Carolina native arrived on campus at Charlotte ahead of the 2019-20 season, but redshirted in what would’ve been her freshman campaign. During the following season, Lawrence chose to opt out at the semester break after five non-conference matchups as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and averaged 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season.

Lawrence’s responsibility and production skyrocketed during her redshirt sophomore season, delivering 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per contest in 24 games played. After not starting in a single game since the start of her career with the 49ers, Lawrence started 30 of Charlotte’s 31 games in 2022-23 and was named a Conference USA First Team selection.

Her production only increased last season, in Charlotte’s inaugural year as a member of the American Athletic Conference, when Lawrence led the 49ers in scoring for the second consecutive season with 18.2 points per game. She also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 33 minutes per game during Charlotte’s 31 games, and was named an AAC First Team honoree. Additionally, Lawrence played for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in Poland alongside Zia Cooke, former South Carolina guard and No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks, and former Syracuse guard Dyashia Fair, the third all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history and the No. 16 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces.

Lawrence is the fifth transfer portal pickup for new Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks, who also earned commitments from Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore, an All-America graduate point guard, and Clara Strack, a 6-5 freshman center, as well as 6-4 redshirt sophomore Teonni Key from North Carolina and 6-foot-1 guard Jordan Obi from Penn.

Brooks announced the hiring of former Charlotte assistant coach Ciara Gregory, who previously served on the 49ers’ staff from 2020-24, on Wednesday. Gregory, who spent the past three seasons as a guard-focused assistant coach, helped develop Lawrence.

The Wildcats’ 2024 recruiting class includes 6-2 guard Lexi Blue (ranked No. 40 nationally by espnW) of Lake Highland (Florida) Prep, 6-3 forward Amelia Hassett of Eastern Florida State College and 6-7 Portuguese center Clara Silva, a top international prospect currently playing in Spain. Blue, Hassett and Silva were each previously committed to Brooks’ program at Virginia Tech. UK also signed a holdover from former head coach Kyra Elzy’s recruiting class in Tanah Becker, a 6-1 wing from Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Tennessee.

Sophomore guards Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler have also elected to remain with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season.



Six former Wildcats have named transfer destinations — leading scorer Ajae Petty (Ohio State), second-leading scorer Maddie Scherr (Texas Christian), senior guard Eniya Russell (Mississippi State), starting point guard Brooklynn Miles (Pittsburgh), senior forward Nyah Leveretter (Georgia) and freshman forward Janaé Walker (Rutgers).

Freshman Jordy Griggs announced her entry to the transfer portal but hasn’t yet named a destination. Sophomore guard Amiya Jenkins issued a goodbye post to Big Blue Nation on Monday, confirming her departure from UK after weeks of reports that she had entered the transfer portal, but has yet to name her next stop.