UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talked about freshman guard Jovana Popovic during his annual charity event at the Hartford Golf Club on Tuesday.
Popovic is the first Serbian player signed by UConn. She joins the 2026 freshman class as one of the top international prospects. The point guard is 5-foot-9 and played professionally for ŽKK Art Basket in Belgrade, Serbia. She has also represented the Serbian Women’s National Team and youth national teams.
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Auriemma recognized Popovic as smart and a good fit, while also expressing surprise at her height. He made his feelings clear while telling reporters:
“Smart, fits in easily, good student, picks things up quickly on the court. She’s a little taller than I thought. For the first four, five days that she’s been here, I think she’s done what I hope she would do exactly.”
Popovic was named MVP and Best Shooter in Serbia’s First League during the 2024-25 season. She led ŽKK Art Basket to the Serbian championship. She averaged 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists through the first five games of the 2025-26 season. She was on the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket All-Star Five that won bronze. She also made her debut with Serbia’s senior national team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket.
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What Geno Auriemma Said After Signing Jovana Popovic
In November, Geno Auriemma’s UConn added Jovana Popovic to their 2026 recruiting class. At the time, Auriemma praised Popovic’s ball-handling skills, scoring versatility, and playmaking abilities.
“Jovana is a high-level guard with a lot of experience,” Auriemma said. “She can handle the ball, she’s a playmaker, she can score. Jovana is a really nice kid who will fit in great with our team.”
Despite being out of Serbia, she has played some prospects from her class, including Olivia Vukosa, in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland.
With the senior team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Eurobasket, she averaged 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals.
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The Huskies have done heavy recruiting from outside North America since 2019, as Popovic will join the following list:
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Blanca Quiñonez (Ecuador by way of Italy)
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Gandy Malou-Mamel (Ireland via New Jersey)
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Inês Bettencourt (Portugal)
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Lou Lopez Sénéchal (France)
There’s a lot of promise with Popovic, and it remains to be seen how much playing time she will get in her freshman season.
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