Kayleigh Heckel has left USC to join defending national champions UConn Huskies for next season. While representing the Trojans last season, she averaged 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 45.9%.
The McDonald’s All-American from Port Chester, New York, will now be returning to the West Coast as Geno Auriemma’s squad is slated to face the Trojans next season on Dec. 13 in California during their road trip.
On the Hoops Cap Podcast, analyst Tee Baker spoke about what it would be like for Heckel to return to a program where she played her freshman season.
“I love the Kayleigh Heckel returning home story, even though she’s an East Coast kid,” Baker said. “But going back to USC, kind of seeing how that plays out, I love it. I think USC has just always been a program that I’ve had a great amount of respect for.”
Baker further cherished USC as a legacy program, referencing Cheryl Miller and the winning history. He added:
“When you go back to, like, the late ’80s, you had Cheryl Miller, and you had some of the best players in WNBA history competing with USC. So, it’s got a legacy—two national championships—and I want to see them back at that level, and they are at that level. You know, they have really elite coaching and recruiting. JuJu’s (Watkins) is out, but she’s not out for good, and I think they’re still going to be pretty good this year.”
Tee Baker on why Kayleigh Heckel might choose to join UConn
There’s a lot to like about UConn, and a championship possibly remained a reason for Kayleigh Heckel’s transfer out of USC. At least this is what analyst Tee Baker feels, and he predicted the destination even before Heckel committed to the Huskies.
“You meet the team, and you see if it’s a good dynamic. I think that’s definitely playing a part in it,” Baker said. “And also, just the potential for a national championship. UConn is closer now to a national championship team than I believe Notre Dame is, and, you know, you only get a short window in college. You have to get that ring when you can.”
Heckel finally went with USC. In the Huskies’ press release following the signing, the program introduced Heckel as a passionate, two-way guard with a drive to grow both on and off the court, someone they’re “excited to have (her) at Connecticut.”
Heckel will join Azzi Fudd & Co. as they aim to defend the NCAA title in the absence of Paige Bueckers, who was picked by the Dallas Wings as the top pick in this year’s WNBA draft.
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