Huskies land former USC G Kayleigh Heckel in transfer portal

Connecticut is getting a major addition to their backcourt as former USC Trojan Kayleigh Heckel announced that she’ll be heading to Storrs.

Born in Greenwich, CT, Heckel opted to head to the west coast after a talented high school career that saw her become a McDonald’s All-American and grab a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup.

During her lone season with the Trojans, Heckel averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 steals. With star guard Juju Watkins going down with a torn ACL during USC’s postseason run, the 5-9 guard was able to step up and play some major minutes in her absence. Highlighted by a 13 point, 6 assist effort in a 96-59 win over No. 9 Mississippi State, Heckel averaged nearly 20 minutes per contest during the Trojans’ latest NCAA Tournament run.

Despite the expectation that she’d continue to play a major role in the extended absence of Watkins, Heckel opted to enter the transfer portal instead and immediately had many major suitors. Per On3’s Talia Goodman, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, and Notre Dame were among the teams interested in the former Trojan guard.

Per sources, Storrs Central can confirm that Heckel visited the Huskies on April 28th and 29th, alongside recent UConn commit Serah Williams.

With her acquisition, Heckel will look to help the Huskies grab back-to-back National Championships following the departures of veteran guards Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen. The team remains poised to reload in a big way as they bring back talent like Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, and more in their backcourt.