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The UConn Huskies won their 12th national championship in program history, but one of the biggest questions facing the team next season was how they would replace star guard Paige Bueckers. Bueckers is off to the WNBA, entering her rookie season with the Dallas Wings. There is no replacing a player like Bueckers, but UConn made a big, late addition from the transfer portal with incoming sophomore guard Kayleigh Heckel, as per Talia Goodman of On3 Sports.
Kayleigh Heckel entered the transfer portal after her freshman season at USC, and will immediately bolster UConn’s backcourt depth. Not only did the Huskies lose Bueckers, but they also lost her backcourt partner in Kaitlyn Chen.
UConn has a couple of guards on the roster potentially in line for bigger roles with KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade. But Heckel will certainly help in that regard. The former five-star recruit was part of a heralded recruiting class for USC last season, one of the best in the nation.
Heckel came off the bench for the Trojans, but was able to make an immediate impact and solidify her role throughout the season and into the NCAA Tournament. She appeared in 34 games, including seven starts, at a little over 16 minutes per game. She averaged 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 45.9 percent shooting from the field, 28.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 78.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Her best game of the postseason came during USC’s round of 32 win against Mississippi State. She finished with 13 points, one rebound, six assists and two steals in 2o minutes. During the Trojans’ loss to UConn, she finished with five points in 19 minutes. One aspect of her game that stood out last season was her ability to get into the paint and finish at the basket.
Although the loss of Bueckers will impact the UConn, the Huskies figure to be a strong contender yet again with the return of Azzi Fudd, the tournament MOP, and the continued development of Sarah Strong.
