High School

Former Germantown high school girls basketball star's energized effort filling critical role for UConn Huskies

Sophomore guard KK Arnold has transitioned from starter to valuable bench player for Big East powerhouse, 2023 Wisconsin Ms. Basketball helped ignite team's run to NCAA Women's Tournament Elite Eight

Jeff Hagenau

Mar 29, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UConn Huskies guard KK Arnold (2) controls the ball during a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UConn Huskies guard KK Arnold (2) controls the ball during a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Highly successful, championship-caliber teams often consist of supremely talented players who unselfishly set their egos aside, step into specific roles, and consistently rise to the occasion under intense, big-game pressure.

Kamorea "KK" Arnold has thrived in the valuable role of defensive ignitor for the high-profile University of Connecticut (UConn) women's basketball team.

Arnold, a tenacious high-energy 5-foot-9 sophomore guard from Germantown, Wis., is currently averaging a productive 5.4 points per game with 2.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in coming off the bench in all 37 games this season.


Second-seeded and No. 3-ranked UConn, 34-3 overall, is scheduled to face top-seeded and No. 4-ranked University of Southern California (USC), 31-3, in an NCAA Women's Tournament Elite Eight showdown of national powerhouse programs at Spokane, Wash., tonight at 8 p.m.


UConn has advanced to the NCAA Women's Tournament 36 consecutive times dating back to 1989, including 29 Elite Eight appearances and 11 national championships.
It will be the second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight for the five-time defending Big East Conference champion Huskies, who are seeking their first national title since 2016.

UConn advanced with a dominant 82-59 victory over third-seeded Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, paced by star senior guard Paige Bueckers' 40-point individual performance.
Arnold contributed three points, two steals, and one assist in playing a high-quality 18 minutes for the Huskies.


Arnold, a former Germantown High School standout and WIAA Division 1 state basketball champion, achieved her two most productive games of the season offensively during back-to-back January conference road victories over Villanova (15 points) and Marquette (13 points).

Arnold and fellow sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade, this year's Big East Conference Sixth Woman of the Year, each started for UConn last season and combined to help the team to a Final Four appearance. Using the high-octane 1-2 combination off the bench this season has proven to be a wise, clever defensive move for legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

“It's a reminder to everybody watching that more so today than ever your value to a team, and a lot of times your value to yourself, shouldn’t be how many points I score. That's not indicative of whether you played great or not,” said Auriemma, in a post-game interview with Daniel Connolly of UConn WBB Weekly. “KK was probably, other than Paige, the most impactful player on the floor and it had nothing to do with scoring."

Bueckers was quick to point out that Arnold's role has been critical to the team's success throughout the season. "She has the ability every single night to change the entire game when she steps on the floor and knows that,” said Bueckers, of Arnold's impact on the court. "Every single time and every single night KK shows up and does that for our team, she plays an extremely huge role. She knows regardless of starting, not starting, she's a huge, key piece to this team."

Arnold, a top-six national recruit and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association's 2023 Ms. Basketball, had a prolific high school career at Germantown, scoring 2,458 career points with 765 rebounds, 695 assists, 415 steals, and registering eight triple-doubles. She was a three-time Associated Press Player of the Year, two-time Wisconsin Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, McDonald's and Jordan Brand Classic All-American, and guided the Warhawks to a state championship in 2021.

As a freshman at UConn in 2023-2024, she played in all 39 games, including 33 starts, averaging 8.9 ppg, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 steals. She led the Huskies with 90 steals.

Whether hitting big, pressure-packed shots to spark a game-changing run or responding with gritty, momentum-shifting stops at the defensive end, it's safe to say that Arnold will be ready to come off the bench and step into the national spotlight come game time.

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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Jeff Hagenau
JEFF HAGENAU

Jeff Hagenau has been a sports writer in southeast Wisconsin for the past 28 years, covering at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He graduated from Carroll University with a degree in journalism and has showcased his versatility by reporting on a wide array of sports over the course of his memorable career.

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