Playing on the same floor as the one you always worshipped from afar is not everyone’s fate. But it is of UConn’s No. 2 KK Arnold. While she may be a freshman, she is surely on her way to taking up Paige Bueckers’ spot on the team in the next two years. How? For starters, she, alongside UConn senior Nika Muhl, gave Caitlin Clark and Co. and hard time tonight by being a pure offensive and defensive force. She contributed 14 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 2 assists in their 69-71 defeat against Iowa.

KK Arnold, born Kamorea Arnold, is the youngest of Kimberly and Mike Arnold among four siblings. Born in Germantown, Wisconsin, she was always a Husky and Geno Auriemma fan. Mike worked as a custodian for the local school district and Kim was also always at work. Hence, KK usually spent her days as a 3-year-old with her sister Myeisha Arnold who is also a hooper.

While the coaches would then give her a basketball so she could pass her time, it slowly grew on her. In fact, she was a dribbling pro who could handle multiple balls at a time by the age of 10. As a fourth grader, KK already knew she wanted to wear the National flag blue and white for her jersey. She was also adamant about playing under the head coach Geno Auriemma.

The now Husky enrolled herself in multiple AAU teams and was a top basketball player at the Germantown (Wisconsin) High School. As a high schooler, she also grabbed many personal accolades that added more shine to her resume. These also included awards from Gatorade and AP. Further, she is also a part of the Naismith High School Trophy underclassmen watch list.

On top of these, the 6th best recruit on ESPN’s class of 2023 also brought gold for Team USA at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup and the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. KK Arnold committed to UConn over other major schools like Duke, Baylor, South Carolina, and more. And this was two years before she graduated from high school. But now that she is a core part of the roster, how is she doing?

KK Arnold running free as a Husky

Arnold was amongst the starters within the first five games in her freshman year. From her very first performance, she has displayed her capacity to be a team player. While Iowa slightly edged past UConn tonight, it did not stop KK to bring out her best. With dominating buckets including a beyond-the-arc and a layup shot in the first quarter, she made some immaculate steals, keeping the Huskies in the run throughout the 40 minutes.

Her performance in the 2024 March Madness has also impacted UConn in a great way. She averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 steals in 33 minutes on the floor in the last five NCAA tournament games. Her time with the roster looks pretty decent so far. It will be exciting to keep an eye on this budding star in the next season as she fastens her grip further on this team.

Read More- “Refs Wanted Iowa to Win”: Offensive Foul Call on Aaliyah Edwards Infuriates Fans as Caitlin Clark Suffers the Wrath