UConn's Geno Auriemma Excited for Top 2026 Recruit
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The UConn Huskies have signed international stars before, but head coach Geno Auriemma’s excitement this time feels unmistakably genuine.
The program recently signed Jovana Popovic, a 5-foot-8 native of Vrbas, Serbia. Popovic is the first Serbian player the Huskies have signed.
Auriemma, after making the sixth win of this season against Utah, spoke to the press and went on to talk about Popovic. He spoke about how the Huskies landed her and what the process was like.
“At first, I was trying to find out if she was related to Coach Popovich in San Antonio, and I thought it was worth it just to check. But we've known about Yvana for quite some time. It's always delicate over there when kids are on these club teams; they have contracts with those teams, they’re in school, and it can get a little in the weeds. It gets complicated,” started Auriemma.
Jovana Popovic is a Husky!
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) November 20, 2025
Welcome to the Basketball Capital of the World 💙 pic.twitter.com/XG6EqAMjGA
They secured their top American priority first, and then Geno and his staff turned their attention to the Serbian guard who had dreamed of coming to the States. Popovic comes with experience and has played years above her age group, even making it to Serbia’s senior national team at just 17.
“She’s the kind of kid…who has always wanted to come to the States and play basketball. Playing at UConn is a big dream for a lot of those kids now. I like the way she plays. She’s tough. She can score…. and she’s what, 17 years old now, whatever she is. There are an awful lot of things I value that she possesses. I’m excited for her,” added Auriemma.
Jovana Popovic vs. Kraljevo (22/11/25)
— Cristian (@DouBasket28) November 22, 2025
18 PTS 12 REB 3 AST 3 STL 1 BLK 29 VAL pic.twitter.com/tcvcKPTxAr
Popovic was the MVP honors in the First League of Serbia and was an All-Star Five selection at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket. This season alone with ZKK Art Basket, she’s putting up 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
To make things more interesting, Popovic is the second recruit in the 2026 class. She joins another top-ranked recruit.
Jovana Popovic Is the Second Recruit in UConn’s 2026 Class
Popovic joins Olivia Vukosa, the No. 3-ranked recruit in the country and one of the most dominant young centers UConn has landed in recent years.
As Auriemma puts it, "We knew we wanted Big O, right? We got that done, and then we got to work on starting the process with her (Popovic)."
Interestingly, Popovic and Vukosa both played at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland earlier this year.
Class of 2026 recruit Olivia “BIG O” Vukosa is a PROBLEM! 👀🔥@NikeNYC @nikebasketball pic.twitter.com/F8cEHTMLKJ
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) January 6, 2024
Vukosa is a 6-foot-4 center from New York. During her time at Christ the King, she went on win
CHSAA titles, Gatorade New York Player of the Year, and Naismith Watch List honors. Internationally, she’s been just as impressive for Croatia, averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in the 2025 FIBA U120 Women's Basketball Division B tournament.
Together, Popovic and Vukosa form a two-player class that already feels like a foundation rather than a finishing piece.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.