When UConn set out to build its 2024 recruiting class, there were no obvious holes that the team needed to fill.
The return of Paige Bueckers for a fifth season bolstered a backcourt that was already set to have Azzi Fudd, Caroline Ducharme, KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuels. Down low, they filled out their frontcourt over the last few recruiting cycles with the likes of Ice Brady, Ayanna Patterson and Jana El Alfy (though injuries have hampered that group).
Still, the Huskies had enough at every spot where they could just focus on adding talent, regardless of position. They did exactly that, landing the second-best recruiting class in the nation with Sarah Strong (No. 1 on ESPN’s rankings), Allie Ziebell (No. 7) and Morgan Cheli (No. 11).
“To have three players coming in that can immediately have an impact on your team is pretty unique,” Geno Auriemma said in a statement after the class officially signed with UConn.
Sarah Strong
For the third time in the last five years, UConn landed the No. 1 recruit in the country. Listed at 6-1 out of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, Strong is a versatile piece who doesn’t fit neatly into any one position.
“The skill set that she has is both brand new and fits today’s game perfectly, and it’s also a throwback to an age when it didn’t matter what size players were, they played the entire game,” Auriemma said. “They passed, they shot, they handled the ball, they rebounded. I think we’re getting a pretty special player and a special person.”
During her time at Grace Christian High School, Strong was a two-time North Carolina Miss Basketball and North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year, then earned the 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year as well as McDonald’s, Naismith, Jordan Brand and SLAM All-American honors as a senior.
On the international stage, Strong has won four gold medals: Three at the FIBA U18 3×3 World Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024 — including MVP honors at the latter — and another at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
Strong should make an immediately impact with the Huskies, though it’s not yet clear what her role will be since she only spent a few weeks on campus during summer workouts before heading out on national team duty. Still, with her combination of high-end talent and versatility, UConn shouldn’t have much trouble finding a spot for her in the rotation — if not the starting lineup.
Allie Ziebell
Prior to 2023, UConn had never brought in a player from Wisconsin. Now, the Huskies have done so twice in as many years with Allie Ziebell (Neenah, WI) following in the footsteps of KK Arnold (Germantown, WI).
While Strong and Cheli are known for their versatility, Ziebell is a pure scorer. While she’s a sharpshooter from behind the arc, she can also put the ball in the hoop from anywhere on the floor. She displays a great feel for the court as well — she has the intelligence to get herself into the right spots and the skill to execute once she gets there.
With an abundance of guards on the roster, Ziebell will have to shoot her way onto the floor. Even though the Huskies ranked 24th in the nation in 3-point percentage last season, they return just one player (Bueckers) who made more than 40 percent from deep. Ziebell hit over 45 percent in her high school career.
Prior to UConn, Ziebell won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2023 U19 FIBA World Cup, earned the 2023 Gatorade Wisconsin Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year and was named a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American as a senior.
Morgan Cheli
At 6-1 with the versatility to play anywhere from the point to the stretch four, Cheli fits the big guard mold that UConn covets — think Katie Lou Samuelson and Caroline Ducharme.
A native of Los Altos, California, Cheli played for legendary high school coach Sue Phillips at Archbishop Mitty. She had a strong senior season, leading her squad to titles at Nike’s Tournament of Champions in December and the NorCal Open.
As a result, Cheli earned McDonald’s, Jordan Brand and Naismith All-American honors.
After arriving at UConn in June, Cheli was limited with a hamstring issue during summer workouts, though Auriemma said the team was just being overly cautious with her. While it’s not ideal to miss time, there’s plenty of ways she can earn minutes despite the loaded backcourt.
“Morgan, more than anything else, I think she’s a fearless rebounder — for whatever reason, because she don’t look like one, but she is,” Auriemma said back in November. “She doesn’t necessarily need to score any points to impact the game.”
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