Hassett's long road to become a Wildcats star

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Amelia Hassett’s journey to becoming a key starter for an SEC powerhouse has been a story of perseverance.

The New South Wales native began her college basketball career in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) at Eastern Florida State College in 2022 and today, in her second season in the NCAA Division 1, she’s a starter for a Kentucky team that sits at 12-1.

Having toiled away in the junior college (JUCO) system for two years, Hassett gained valuable experience and confidence. In her second and final season at Eastern Florida, the 6’4” (193 cm) forward averaged a double-double of 19 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.

Out of high school in country New South Wales, Hassett had division one offers on the table, but instead chose to refine her game at the lower JUCO level and is now shining in one of the toughest conferences in women’s college basketball.

“I did have a few division one offers, but I thought I needed a little bit of exposure and experience,” Hassett told basketball.com.au.

“Coming out of high school in Australia is obviously difficult, and I loved my coach at Eastern Florida [MJ Baker], we just clicked in the beginning and I was like, ‘this is a no-brainer for me’.”

Those two years at Eastern Florida were a "grind" but clearly hard work has never fazed Hassett, having taken on every challenge which has come her way at every level.

“JUCO is a grind,” she said.

“There's a lot that you go through, but it was honestly just the best time, I enjoyed it so much. The girls were amazing and I really loved it.

“It prepared me [for Kentucky], it helped me get a realisation of what the American and college lifestyle is all about, and then basketball-wise, it definitely helped having those two years under my belt.”

The move from country New South Wales to Florida was an eye-opening experience for Hassett, but the support system around her made the transition as smooth as possible.

“It was definitely very different, but you just have to adjust quickly,” she said.

“There are so many people around you and the support there was just great. Knowing you have people that want to see you succeed definitely helps.”

Speaking of success, Hassett is playing 30 minutes per game on a Kentucky team winning plenty of games and heads into Christmas with just one loss to their name.

Hassett’s ability to stretch the floor with her three-point shooting is invaluable and she clearly has a green light from coach Kenny Brooks, averaging more than seven long-range attempts per game.

From a young age, she said adding a long range shot to her arsenal was a focus.

“It's definitely developed a lot over the years,” she said.

“I’d say it was something that coaches would always tell me to work on, because obviously I am quite tall, but I'm not tall enough to be in the centre, so a lot of coaches were harping on that, and then it just progressed as I kept practicing it.”

Averaging 10 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, Hassett is impacting both ends of the court - whether she’s knocking down triples, grabbing rebounds or blocking shots - she does whatever the team needs from her.

Since joining the Wildcats last season, Hassett has started in all 44 games, highlighting the trust coach Brooks has in her and why joining Kentucky was all about playing for Brooks.

Hassett originally committed to Viriginia Tech when Brooks was coaching the Hokies during the 2023-24 season, and when he made the move to Kentucky after that season, she followed.

“I was talking to [Brooks] and I did commit to Virginia Tech,” she said.

“Then when he moved, I just loved the coaching staff so much, so honestly, that's the reason why I was drawn to Kentucky. Changing the location didn't really matter as much.

“I really enjoy playing for him. He's a great coach obviously, but he's such a great person in general, and having him as a coach not only for basketball, but just in life, is amazing.”

As they head into 2026, the schedule really starts to heat up for Kentucky with eight of their remaining 17 games against teams currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation.

That’s the beauty of playing in the SEC; you’re going to be challenged and Hassett's excited to play against the best of the best.

“That's what the SEC is all about,” she said.

“Getting the chance to play great teams and even playing at LSU is going to be an experience in itself.

“I think it's so cool to be able to do that.”

Having taken the long way around to get to division one, Hassett is enjoying life as a senior at Kentucky and when March rolls around, I get the feeling she is going to have a big say on how far the Wildcats go.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.