Five-star prospect and McDonald’s All-American Cydnee Bryant took to the court for her first official appearance as a Jayhawk on Sept. 8.
The 6-foot-4 freshman made a cameo for a few points late in the first set of a Kansas match against Wichita State; she appeared again a week later in another match against the Shockers and recorded her first career stat, a block — the volleyball kind.
Bryant is, of course, a multi-sport athlete. She might be the truest center on the KU women’s basketball roster, but Brandon Schneider isn’t going to have her at his disposal until Matt Ulmer is done using her as a reserve middle blocker this year.
“We’re going to try to keep her away from basketball for as long as possible, so that we’re playing,” Ulmer said with a smile, prior to the season. “I’m sure everybody is excited about that piece.
“She knew what she was getting into. We all did too. We had those conversations well before any commitment happened. So now we just got to play it out and adjust as we go.”
The KU women’s basketball team will certainly be adjusting as the season goes on. Bryant is able to do some periodic basketball work amid the volleyball season, but she won’t join the team in full for quite some time and wasn’t with them during the summer: “Until we get her and get her in practices, it’s going to be hard for me to really pinpoint how much she’s going to be able to contribute as a freshman,” Schneider said.
During nonconference play — before Bryant’s volleyball season comes to an end — the Jayhawks could look a lot different.
“Right now I think we’re a lot more of a stretch 5, if you will,” Schneider said. “I think that can pose some problems for some people matchup-wise. I think we’ll have to play significantly faster, and much of what we’re able to do with Cydnee is going to be dependent upon when she actually joins our team.”
The opportunity to stretch the floor at the center spot provides an appealing contrast with the hard-nosed, physical play style of forward Jaliya Davis, who was a smash hit in her freshman season as she averaged 19.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and became the first power-conference player ever to receive a freshman of the week honor in nine consecutive weeks.
“It’s difficult when expectations can be so high, right, and then now you’re the focal point, potentially, of a lot of game plans,” Schneider said. “She’s continued to add to her game. I think she’ll do some things to have some counters here and there. But I think if you were to ask her, she’s excited about also having a year where she’s a lot more comfortable on the defensive end.
“There’s so much learning that takes place from a terminology and scheme standpoint as a freshman that you can tell already that she’s way more comfortable there.”
One of the top choices to play alongside Davis this year, and especially in the early stages, will be 6-foot-3 junior forward Regan Williams.
“I love playing with her,” Williams said. “It’s more energetic. She is a real presence just in the post, everywhere, so I feel like I can go outside, kind of, and we kind of like can interchange. We work real well together.”
Williams has moved between the bench and the starting lineup in recent seasons, averaging 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds as a sophomore, and says she is at this point “ready for whatever.” She spent much of the offseason developing her shot; she has a promising stroke but is just 2-for-13 from deep in her career.
“I know I couldn’t space out the floor last year a whole lot, so I’ve been working on my 3, so that gives everyone a chance to drive, or let Jaliya not get double-teamed in there,” Williams said. “… I just feel more ready. I feel like that’s what he’s wanting me to do and I’m finally playing into that role.”
Indeed, Williams is one of the players Schneider was referencing when he mentioned creating matchup problems for opponents with perimeter options at the center spot. He praised her offseason growth.
“I would say the same thing about Brooklynn Renn,” Schneider said. “We’ve been excited about her. So I think those three will play a lot of minutes for us, especially early, and then we’ll see how Cydnee’s able to assimilate once we have her.”
Renn, also 6-foot-3, is a freshman from Sellersburg, Indiana, a four-star prospect from a basketball family who set records at Silver Creek Senior High School. Senior guard S’Mya Nichols called her a “great forward, long and can shoot.”
She and Williams will have to shoulder a heavy load early on, and from then on, it’s anyone’s guess.
“For sure, it definitely feels kind of different, we’re just waiting for her to come in, conference play or whenever,” Williams said. “But I’m ready, I mean, until (she’s) here, we’re ready for her, we can adjust well. Everyone can adjust, so it works.”
Brooklynn Renn of Silver Creek High School takes a shot during a game against Madison on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Charlestown, Ind.
Joe Ullrich/News and Tribune