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UConn lands USC guard Kayleigh Heckel out of transfer portal

Fresh off their 2025 national championship, the UConn Huskies are continuing to reload.

Former USC guard Kayleigh Heckel announced Tuesday she has committed to UConn out of the transfer portal, helping shore up the Huskies' backcourt following the graduation of star Paige Bueckers.

The 5-foot-9 native of Port Chester, New York, was the No. 13-ranked recruit in her class and has three seasons of eligibility. She averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 16.9 minutes as a freshman last season for the Trojans.

Heckel is UConn's second transfer addition of the offseason. The Huskies also added Serah Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward and rising senior who played at Wisconsin. UConn is also returning two major pillars of its team in Final Four Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd and superstar freshman Sarah Strong.

Heckel will round out a backcourt also featuring Fudd and fellow key upperclassmen KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade.

UConn and USC, who have matched up in consecutive Elite Eights, will play each other in Los Angeles this upcoming season in the second of a home-and-home series.