Georgia Amoore is more than a name etched in the box scores of college basketball—she’s a quiet storm that only reveals its true force once the game begins.
The court is where the world sees her as a sharpshooter, a floor general, a competitor. Her career 15.5 points per game (PPG) and 5.6 assists per game (APG) on nearly 36.4 percent from distance speak to her greatness. But the journey beneath the surface—the hours of unseen work, the relentless video sessions, the sacrifices, and the quiet battles fought in the shadows—often goes unnoticed. For every perfect pass and game-winning shot, there’s a story of perseverance that spans far beyond the hardwood. It’s a story of overcoming, of pushing through unseen pain, of relationships that shape a player into something far greater than her statistics suggest. Georgia Amoore’s talent alone didn’t create her rise to the pinnacle of college basketball; grit and determination forged in unseen places did.
This is her story.
Amoore’s journey to basketball began with observational learning.
“I started playing my first in the game when I was five because I was watching my cousin, and I adored my cousin,” Amoore told me. “She’s older than I am, so everything she did, I was like a sheep. I just followed her around. I wanted to do what she did.” And since her cousin played, so did Amoore, although Amoore wasn’t quite ready for her first foray on the court. “Coach turns around, puts me in, and I’m wearing flip-flops and jean shorts. I was not ready to play.”
Missing the appropriate basketball attire be damned, Amoore immediately fell in love with the game. Even while being given innumerable opportunities by her loving parents to play and experience other sports, Amoore’s love for basketball could not be shaken. “The older I got, basketball was just the one that stuck for me because it was all year round,” Amoore recalled. She enjoyed a range of competitions and teams but eventually had to focus on one sport, as she earned a spot on the national basketball team.
Amoore’s long-term vision was prophetic even from a young age.
“I [knew]that basketball is going to take me more places. It’s going to do more for me,” Amoore admitted. “At that point, there wasn’t really a professional league for football at home. As much as I loved it, I [just knew]the longevity of basketball was going to stick. And I think it just made me happy, being with the girls, being around different teams, and always having a tournament or something to [get]excited about.”
The time she spent on the U-16 and U-17 Australian national teams taught the young guard so much about basketball beyond the self. “From the get-go [with the national teams], just being in that Australian system, it’s such an emphasis on teamwork. It’s the sisterhood—that’s what they talk about. Whatever was required of you to do it. You did it. You hustled. It was a lot of hustle plays, just playing your guts out like that was what was instilled in us.”
For the player “who would give the shirt off [her]back,” playing on those national teams with great players like Jade Melbourne and Shyla Heal gave her the perspective to look back and appreciate where it all started.
“Our journeys have been so different, but it’s just crazy. Looking at it back then and now, how everyone’s pathways individually path out,” Amoore acknowledged. “But we know we all have those roots of just giving up some of yourself with a great ability team. That’s really what it was all about.”
In the crucible of national teams, they didn’t simply teach Georgia Amoore to play basketball. It is there, amid the grind of international competition, that she honed an almost Rousseauan understanding of the game—A perfect harmony between individual will and collective need.
Each pass, each decision, is not just an expression of talent, but a sacrifice for the team, a recognition that the greater good outweighs personal accolade. In these moments, humility isn’t a lesson—it’s a necessity, woven into the very fabric of her play. It’s the willingness to give a little more, to risk a little more, to show up not for her glory but for the success of the whole. This philosophy, learned through years of shared struggle and sacrifice, is the bedrock of the player she has become—an embodiment of selflessness that elevates every teammate around her and makes her an irreplaceable force on the court.
Although Amoore found success with her national teams, her path to playing basketball in the U.S. was challenging. After her cousin went to Syracuse University for rowing, Amoore, by then a ninth or tenth-grader, chose to play in America as her next step, once again following her cousin to perform athletically at the next level.
“I think being an international kid was just hard to get recruited point blank period,” Amoore recognized. “Like you can send film out. You can email coaches. I emailed a few coaches. Never heard back, and it wasn’t until I got the national team stuff that [I started] getting a little bit of interest. But you’re still an international kid, so people don’t really want to take those chances on you.”
Amoore had two offers: play at the University of Portland, where many Australians had before, which would ease her transition to the American game and culture, or go to Virginia Tech.
Georgia Amoore reflected on her unexpected recruitment experience, recalling how she was unaware of the attention she received during a tournament in Belarus with the Australian national team. The process began when Lithuanian assistant Radvile Autukaite reached out to her via a Facebook message, sparking initial communication with Virginia Tech. Despite initial skepticism about the message’s legitimacy, Georgia learned that the coaching staff—led by Coach Kenny Brooks—showed genuine interest, building a personal connection with her. As she considered her options, she compared Virginia Tech to the University of Portland, where she could stay close to familiar faces, but ultimately, the allure of a fresh start in a new environment, away from comfort, was what drew her to Virginia Tech. The authenticity of the coaching staff and the opportunity to push herself in a new challenge made the decision clear.
“I think just when I took my visits, and I think when I got to Tech, you can tell the difference in facilities and whatnot, but it was the staff, 110% it was the staff,” Amoore said. “I remember that visit so vividly, and I just thought the girls were great. And they noticed that I was really conscious of it, but having [Liz] Kitley [and]Cayla King already there. Taylor Geiman, [etc.], they ended up being so solid for me all my years at Tech.”
“I didn’t know that then, but obviously, something about them was enticing and comfortable, which is crazy, because, once again, the Australians were at [the University of Portland].” She recalled a recruiting dinner at Coach Brooks’ house, where her parents chatted with him, his wife, and the staff as if they had known each other for years—like it was just a family dinner. “They cracked open a couple of bottles of wine and just [talked]while I was on the couch with the girls. I think that comfort, I [felt]it [was]hard to fake. It’s really hard to fake two or three hours of just sitting down at a dinner table conversation. I think that dinner was a really significant moment for them and the next day I committed on the spot in his office.”
Georgia Amoore’s journey at Virginia Tech had its share of highs and lows, showcasing the challenges and growth she encountered, both on and off the court. Her freshman year, under Coach Brooks’ demanding guidance, was a growing experience.
“Touching on my freshman and sophomore year, it was tough because I wasn’t being vulnerable,” Amoore reflected. “I wasn’t opening myself up as much. I think I was timid or, I don’t know what I was shying away from, but I think as soon as I got to know him more. I got to know his intentions. I was like, ‘Okay, now, he’s trying to help me right now.’ So I think he’s just been so great for me.”
Her freshman year was also during the peak of COVID-19, with plenty of limitations on what the team could do together and where to go. Being alone so soon was very difficult for her. “I’m new to the country [so]I don’t know the culture that much [and]college towns are just different,” Amoore admitted. “It’s rural, it’s COVID, it’s basketball. [It was] kind of hard. It was a lot to manage those first two years.”
As she progressed, her sophomore year brought more promise, with players like Kitley and Aisha Sheppard making strides, but it wasn’t until her junior year—when key transfers joined the team and the chemistry clicked—that the program truly took off. The leadership of Taylor Soule and the vision of Coach Brooks transformed the team dynamic, culminating in a successful Final Four run.
Off the court, however, her time at Virginia Tech wasn’t easy. The small, rural town and distance from home perpetuated the sense of isolation, particularly in her early years, when she could only visit family rarely. Yet, this isolation forced her to focus deeply on her basketball career, learning how to manage her time and maintain peak physical and mental performance. By her junior year, she had matured both as a player and a person. And as her game evolved, so did her confidence, making her senior year even more successful.
In basketball, people often frame the player-coach dynamic as a partnership for growth—where coaches mold players into better athletes and people. In reality, however, many of these promises can ring hollow, as the pressures of competition, time constraints, and ego often blur the lines between mentorship and performance. The true essence of development lies in the connection, something that transcends tactical advice or tough-love coaching.
For Georgia Amoore and Kenny Brooks, their relationship became an exception to the rule. They built their relationship on relentless, sometimes grueling, feedback—but also trust, and an understanding that their combined hard work shaped character as much as skills. Their bond wasn’t just about winning games, but about navigating the messy, transformative space where true growth happens.
“For the first couple of years of my career, I was playing so fast, and now I think I have a better sense of tempo when and maybe when the team needs to slow down, when I need to slow down, when we need to pick it up, just having a grasp on everything,” Amoore said.
“You know, I definitely, in the least egotistical way, call the shots. I’m looking at what I think we do well. I have so much confidence in my team that I think we do beat the matchup every time, but it’s kind of cool that I have a hand in that on breaks, I can decide who I’m going to and it’s just, it’s not based on favoritism, or who my best friend is. It’s like a genuine, just black and white, analytical breakdown, and I think he’s just been so good, not only physically handling my shot, he’s fixed my shot, but mentally, has been the most gratifying part of working with him.”
For the player who “wasn’t allowed to shoot in Australia,” having Brooks develop her game beyond the facilitator has meant so much to her. And, despite her American-viewed diminutive height for a basketball player, Brooks gave her the perspective she needed to overcome any insecurities.
“[He would say] ‘You got to do this move, but instead of being 5′ 6”, you’ve got to act like the 5 ’10”’. [In watching the opponent] I’m like, ‘Oh, she’s really small,’ and I’m looking at her, and she’s the same height as me. But I think in some aspects, that’s where that comes back to those individuals where it’s like you have to be longer than you are, you have to act bigger than you are. You have to be on your toes so deceivingly. What [Brooks] does is so good with the illusion. He’s just so in-depth, with the way he teaches that it’s not just, ‘Oh, we can turn you into a shooter. We can turn you into this.’ I’m talking about changing the deception of my height. That’s how in-depth we are about play development.”
After her senior season, she could have left for the WNBA Draft. She could have stayed and finished what she started at Virginia Tech. Instead, she chose one more season with Brooks, but this time, at the University of Kentucky.
“Eventually it just came down to experience with him and how much I trust him,” Amoore confessed. “I say it all the time like he’s never, ever steered me wrong. So I fully believe that if I followed him, it would benefit some way, shape, or form. I didn’t know at that time how it would, but I knew that it was going to benefit basketball off the court, whatever it was.”
Amoore’s decision to go to Kentucky meant going to a blue-blood school, but not for the women’s team. Beyond Brooks, why go? What did it mean for her? Transferring into a program in need of a complete rebuild was a challenge Georgia Amoore didn’t take lightly.
“It was tough the first couple of months because I didn’t think I realized just how big of a responsibility it was,” Amoore admitted.
She joined a team that had won a combined 24 games the past two seasons, and in doing so, with the responsibility not only to prove herself as a player but to help elevate the entire program. As an international student, the move to a larger school in a bigger city added another layer of adjustment, especially given the expectations placed on her as a high-profile recruit. With new teammates and staff, she quickly realized her role extended beyond scoring—she needed to develop her game holistically, from expanding her floor vision to refining her decision-making under pressure.
Midway through this season, with her game evolving and her team ranked 11th nationally, Amoore sees how much her development, both as a leader and a player, has come from facing intense defensive pressure. Amoore, of a new career-high of 43 points recently against Oklahoma, has come full circle. Despite the struggles, the experience has been invaluable, and she now appreciates the growth that comes with navigating these challenges.
“What greater challenge than to bring a new team together and be the floor general of that team,” Amoore proudly said. “I think in the specific moment, [when]I was making my decision, I was like, ‘everything that I’m going to go through going to Lexington is going to be somewhat reminiscent of whatever is going to happen post-college.’ I just won’t have my head coach, so there was comfort and there was a challenge, and it was a great duality of firsts because I knew at the end of the day I know him, and, you know I’m his second messenger, and I can orchestrate different messages and meanings and kind of teach the girls about him, but I’m going to go through the challenges of learning a new system. We have new players, so we really have a new system; we’re playing completely different than we ever could have previously.”
Amoore has learned to take care of herself, growing from those difficult isolation days early in her playing career. She has used that experience to be a better leader and support those who are going through a very similar experience.
“For the first couple of months, I’m thinking about every single practice; I’m not even thinking about games. I’m thinking about every single day in practice. Different things that I could do when I need to work on.” Her leadership has grown significantly, and it’s not just about directing people on the court—it’s much more than that.
“It’s the off-court stuff and connections and knowing how to speak to people differently, and the responsibility of me delivering a message to our six foot seven international kid from Portugal (Clara Silva) versus our graduate student. It’s very different. And so obviously, all the on-court self is figuring yourself out. But recently, I’ve had to get back to taking care of myself. And for me, a big part of that, like, it’s been getting back to just meditating and taking a moment and being present.”
The transfer experience and growing relationships on her new team have taught Amoore so much about what building trust is all about.
“I think trust is unique because I can trust them with the ball, but am I going to tell them my life story? Probably not,” Amoore posited. “I think I’ve done a good job, but if someone needs me to be vulnerable, and if I think that I need to be vulnerable to get them to open up, I’m going to do it. There’s nothing better than a connection, where it’s like, I’m trying to talk to you and you’re a stone wall, and I need to get something from you, and then it’s not manipulative because I genuinely care. But maybe I’ll be like, ‘I’m struggling, what do you think about this?’ And then that can kind of get the ball rolling.”
Part of what makes a great leader, especially in sports, is the capacity to connect with so many personalities. You don’t have to fully understand someone’s experience. You just have to be human and, as Amoore put it, manage empathy for one another’s stories and situations. It’s one of the biggest lessons she’s learned from past leaders on her teams and what she’s trying to give back to her current one.
Amoore’s growth as a human, from the days of following in her cousin’s footsteps to the mature person she has become, has taught her the importance of being there for her sister Jemma. Jemma Amoore is a freshman at Sacramento State, playing basketball closer to home but still just as challenging as what Georgia experienced.
Georgia Amoore reflected on how her role as an older sister has evolved as her younger sister embarks on her basketball journey far from home. Despite their contrasting personalities—Georgia’s intense, focused approach to basketball and Jemma’s fun-loving, laid-back perspective—the bond they share has only deepened over time.
As an international student, Georgia understands the isolation of being away from family, and now, seeing Jemma go through similar challenges as a freshman on the opposite coast, she feels a strong desire to be there for her. Their relationship grew even more significant during the pandemic when they had to stay connected online, and later when they both faced personal losses. Georgia’s experience of nurturing Jemma during tough times—like her grandmother’s recent passing—has been a reminder of how crucial it is to lean on family in moments of hardship, especially when the distance makes everything feel even more intense. Their connection, forged in shared adversity, has been a source of support and perspective for both of them.
With all her collegiate success so far, sometimes she needs a reminder to slow down and take it all in.
“I definitely have to, you know, probably be better at reminding myself that I do work very, very hard and that sometimes it’s okay to celebrate your successes. But I think that also just keeps me hungry because I never want to settle. But you know, I think that’s the best thing too, because obviously the better I get, the better the team gets, and the better the team gets cohesively.”
And beyond that, she knows it “would be such an honor” to be drafted and make a WNBA team. But in the immediate future, it’s about improving each day. “I think playing wise, I still [going to]do what I’m doing and try to change things daily, do the best daily,” Amoore said.
With all she’s endured in her life, Amoore’s why for basketball is simple, yet profound. “I just don’t want to leave anything unfulfilled,” Amoore said. “I guess it’s something every single day [with]basketball that you can get something out of [it]. You know, it’s something that’s just so fulfilling, and basketball in itself is a purpose.”
And whenever Amoore’s nearly unflappable ground becomes shaken, she knows she can always fall back on her people.
She credits the people around her, especially Coach Brooks, for her growth. Since her freshman year, his efforts have been invaluable, and she feels it would be selfish not to apply his teachings and give her best every day. Growing up in Australia, she’s learned not to take anything for granted.
“Basketball in itself [has]opened up so many opportunities. It’s given me so many things. I think it’s just my purpose is whatever I do in life, it’s going to be around basketball, and I think that as much as I enjoy playing, I enjoy it just all around and I’ve seen the impact it can have on people. I’ve seen kids get scholarships, and it’s changed their lives. I’ve seen coaches and players’ relationships that change lives.”
All stats as of Feb 3. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Her Hoop Stats.
