Middletown Native Josie Gilvin Joins UK Women’s Basketball Roster
November marks the start of the University of Kentucky (UK) 2025-26 women’s basketball season, and Middletown’s own Josie Gilvin will be on the team roster. For Gilvin, donning the legendary blue and white marks the fruition of a longstanding goal.
Last spring, after three successful years playing for Western Kentucky University, Gilvin entered the women’s basketball transfer portal. UK head coach Kenny Brooks quickly extended the invitation for her to become a Wildcat.
The transfer portal is a database of college athletes who have told their current school that they intend to transfer. Coaches seeking seasoned players able to make an immediate impact view statistics and contact the athlete. Gilvin, along with family members on her father’s side who live in Lexington, have always been avid UK fans. She entered the portal with the hope of transferring to UK.
“I’ve always had a dream to be a Wildcat,” she says. “I grew up being a UK fan, so when I entered the portal, it was my main choice. There was no point in leaving Western Kentucky for anywhere else.”
Growing up in a sports-loving family, Gilvin participated on a variety of teams. Her father played several high school sports, and her mother, Danya McGrath Gilvin, is a former University of Louisville basketball player. Living behind Our Lady of Lourdes gave her the perfect opportunity to try nearly every sport.
“I played just about every sport,” she says. “I swam, played tennis, participated in club soccer, and later did volleyball, cross-country and track. Having my mom as a coach at Our Lady of Lourdes made a big impact on me. Her experience and knowledge of the sport helped a lot.”
During high school, Gilvin ran track and cross-country in addition to being a standout on Sacred Heart Academy’s women’s basketball team. As a junior, she recorded 27 steals during the state tournament, setting a Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) tournament record. Both her junior and senior years, she was named to the All-State First Team. During her senior season, she was also designated the 7th Region Player of the Year and was a Kentucky Miss Basketball nominee.
“There could never be a better experience than when I played basketball at Sacred Heart Academy,” Gilvin says. “I had the best teammates, and we really bonded. Head coach Donna Moir and the other coaches, Matthew Carson, Mackenzie Moir and Amy Siegel, were great. While I was there, we won two state championships.”
After her time at Sacred Heart, she played for Western Kentucky University. Each year, she worked hard, set goals, and continued to improve. Last season, as a junior, she set career highs in almost every category. She started all 32 games and averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Coming off a stellar junior year, she took the plunge and entered the transfer portal.
Now a senior at UK, Gilvin is the only native Kentuckian on the 12-member Wildcat roster. With 20 hours of practice per week, she is going full speed while adjusting to Lexington and the new campus experience. She admits the atmosphere feels different.
“It’s not only larger, but the enthusiasm for sports is a bigger vibe,” she says. “People have been welcoming. They’ve come up to me and said how excited they are for the season to start.”
When asked what advice she would give aspiring college athletes, Gilvin says, “Know what you want. Find something you love or else you won’t enjoy it. My dad always wanted me to play soccer, and I liked track. I could have been happy doing either, but basketball has a different vibe. It’s a long season, and you spend a lot of time with your teammates. A good team develops connections and chemistry. If you put a certain amount of work in, you see it pay off. You begin to love it and have fun. It’s not hard work anymore.”
Gilvin plans to make the most of her senior year. Her dedication and hard work have paid off, earning her a spot on the Wildcat roster. She knows she will have plenty of support in the stands since her grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins are local. Most of all, she hopes she can bring something to the team. Her ultimate wish is for the team to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and make a run for the championship.
To view the UK 2025-26 women’s basketball schedule, visit ukathletics.com/sports/wbball/schedule/. Home games are played at the historic Memorial Coliseum, Avenue of Champions in Lexington.
