UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma recently attended the Panini Hoophall Classic and walked away impressed, watching the show put up by five-star commit Olivia Vukosa.
The No. 3-ranked player in the Class of 2026 recorded a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double for Christ the King (NY). In the video shared by SportsCenter Next on X, Auriemma was seen sitting at the indoor court, with highlights of Vukosa making her way to the rim through defenders.
The 6-foot-4 power forward/center is from King High School in Queens, New York and was one of the highly sought-after recruits in the Class of 2026. Last October, she announced her commitment to Auriemma’s program as she chose Huskies over other programs like South Carolina, Texas, LSU, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The official signing happened in November.
Geno Auriemma Shares UConn’s Most Improved Player
The UConn Huskies are in the middle of an incredible run this season, with their latest 99–50 win against Villanova, marking their 34th straight win. In the game, Sarah Strong led the team with 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and five blocks. Azzi Fudd had 14 points. However, the player with whom Geno Auriemma was most impressed with was KK Arnold, who had 13 points (83.3 percent shooting), seven assists, and four steals in just 22 minutes.
In the press conference, Auriemma revealed that Arnold is the most improved player from last season.
“I was asked by the TV people during the game who I thought was our most improved player up to this point, and I would say that probably would be KK from last season,” Auriemma said. “Her court awareness, her confidence in herself, and just the way she carries herself. She is an energy giver. We talk a lot about that. Kids come in two forms: those that give you energy and those that suck the energy out. She’s an energy giver, and you can plug into her. She’s like a battery, and everybody else feeds off of it. Every team needs that. She inspires other people to be like that.”
Arnold has been impressive throughout this season, posting 7.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.9 steals while averaging 24.1 minutes per game. She is shooting 54.7%, including 32.3% from the 3-point line.
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