KK Arnold, Serah Williams, Talia Von Oelhoffen, and more can't contain their excitement as Geno Auriemma's UConn lands major transfer portal target
USC Trojans guard Kayleigh Heckel has confirmed that she's transferring to Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies for her sophomore season of collegiate hoops.
The news comes after the Port Chester, New York, native had announced entering the transfer portal, posting a hearfelt farewell to the program and USC faithful last month.
"K9 by name, husky by nature. see you in storrs! go huskiesss💙🤍 #committed #backhome #blessed," Heckel wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
Members of the 2025-26 UConn roster, both current and incoming, reacted to Heckel's transfer.
"I'M TALM 'BOUT INNITTTTTTTT," incoming junior KK Arnold exclaimed.
"Yeaaaa," transferee Serah Williams wrote with a couple of fire emojis.
"My superstar!!!!," incoming freshman Talia Von Oelhoffen asserted with heart-eye emojis.
"YEAHHHHHHHHH," incoming sophomore Morgan Cheli posted.
Heckel's former teammates and an incoming Trojans player also reacted.
"Yes baby heck!!," now Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen said with emojis.
"So happy for you K9," incoming freshman Jazzy Davidson commented with red heart emojis.
"Yesss congrats!!! Love you always," Brooklyn Jazz wrote.
In her lone stint with the Trojans, Heckel averaged 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 in around 16.9 minutes per game.
Kayleigh Heckel and the USC Trojans were eliminated by the UConn Huskies in the 2025 March Madness
Kayleigh Heckel is set to join the UConn Huskies who had eliminated her and the USC Trojans from the 2025 NCAA national tournament en route winning it all. On March 31, coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies beat Lindsay Gottlieb's USC 78-64 in the Elite Eight.
In what turned out to be her final game for the Trojans, Heckel ended the night with five points on 2-for-7 overall shooting and a rebound in 18 minutes off the bench. USC fnished the campaign with an overall 31-4 record, 17-1 in Big Ten conference play.