After falling short of making back-to-back National Championship Game appearances, Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies are back to the drawing board with a revamped roster. One familiar face returning, however, is injured guard Morgan Cheli, who missed the entirety of last season after getting redshirted due to an ankle injury. Now, as the Huskies are getting ready for the new season, however, Auriemma revealed she is back.
In an interview with Storrs Central, the legendary coach revealed that Cheli is back working out with the team and is making progress on her recovery.
“She’s doing great. She’s worked really hard. I think she’s had a tough go of it trying to get back on the court. You don’t realize it, but it’s been a long time since she’s played. I think she’s good to go,” he said.
Cheli had been out for a year and a half due to the ankle injury and had surgery to repair it. She missed the entire season as Geno Auriemma was not satisfied with her recovery and chose to redshirt her. She would be out for 600 days when the season returns in November, which makes her a redshirt sophomore coming into next season.
Injuries had limited UConn last season, as Cheli and Ice Brady missed the season with injuries. That still did not stop the Huskies from their undefeated run to the Final Four, losing to rival South Carolina in an emotional and heated match, missing another trip to the final.
Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies Still Looking Strong Despite Losing A Few Key Players
While it is still unclear if Morgan Cheli would be healthy enough to return by November, the Huskies are still looking like a powerhouse team, with Sarah Strong now taking the reins as team leader after Azzi Fudd left for the WNBA.
Senior guards KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade will be returning, along with Egyptian center Jana El Alfy, junior guards Kayleigh Heckel and Allie Ziebell, sophomore guards Kelis Fisher and Morgan Cheli, center Gandy Malou-Mamel and forward Blanca Quinonez.
The team lost some players in the transfer portal, and they are Ayanna Patterson (Kentucky) and Ice Brady (Florida State), but is adding incoming freshmen led by No. 2 prospect Olivia Vukosa, along with Jovana Popovic of Serbia and France’s Marine Dursus.
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