UConn Women’s Basketball adds 2026 guard Jovana Popovic from Serbia
The UConn women’s basketball team’s 2026 recruiting class already features a top-five prospect with Croatian heritage in Olivia Vukosa. Eight days removed from Vukosa’s official signing, the Huskies have added a European MVP.
UConn announced the signing of 2024-25 Serbian 1 ZLS MVP Jovana Popovic on Thursday. Popovic will be the first Husky from Serbia, the same country that has produced three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
“Jovana is a high-level guard with a lot of experience,” head coach Geno Auriemma said via a press release. “She can handle the ball, she is a playmaker, she can score. Jovana is a really nice kid who will fit in great with our team.”
The ZKK Art Basket guard will come to Storrs as one of the First League of Serbia’s top players. Popovic leads Serbian 1 ZLS in points (26.6), is second in assists (7.2), and is fourth in steals (3.4) per game. She has recorded 13+ points, 3+ boards, 1+ dimes, and 1+ steals in each league contest thus far.
Despite being just 18 years old, the Serbian Senior National Team member has already played against some of Europe’s top athletes. In three games at the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket championships, Popovic averaged 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
The Nike Hoop Summit participant has led multiple teams to successful heights. ZKK Basket won their first Serbian championship behind their star player in 2023-24. At last year’s U18 Women’s EuroBasket championships, Serbia finished with a bronze medal.
Popovic will be Connecticut’s first European guard since 2023-24, when they had both Nika Mühl and Ines Bettencourt. Popovic tentatively joins Jana El Alfy, Blanca Quiñonez, and Gandy Malou-Mamel as the international players on next year’s roster. Out of the last 10 Huskies to come from outside the United States, none have come from the same country.
| Player | Country of Origin |
| Evelyn Adebayo | United Kingdom* |
| Anna Makurat | Poland* |
| Aaliyah Edwards | Canada |
| Nika Mühl | Croatia |
| Dorka Juhasz | Hungary* |
| Ines Bettencourt | Portugal* |
| Lou Lopez Senechal | France* |
| Jana El Alfy | Egypt* |
| Gandy Malou-Mamel | Ireland* |
| Blanca Quiñonez | Ecuador* |
| Jovana Popovic | Serbia* |
*Denotes first player to be from that country of origin.
“Big O” will help bolster UConn’s frontcourt when she gets to campus next summer. Adding Popovic not only further expands the Huskies’ global brand but also gives them an edge for 2026-27 and beyond.
Envisioning Popovic’s first year in Storrs
Winning MVP in the Big East Conference means being named the league’s Player of the Year. Although that aspiration might not ring true in year one (paging Sarah Strong), Popovic could carve out a significant role for herself.
The 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Championships All-Star selection possesses a handful of qualities Auriemma likes. She is quick, passes the ball well, disrupts plays in transition, can take contested shots, and sports a powerful three-point stroke.
Qualities like those should not be left on the deep end of the bench. That said, it might not be fair to assume that Popovic will have a major role like the one Quiñonez currently has. After all, KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, Kayleigh Heckel, Allie Ziebell, and Kelis Fisher should all return amongst the Huskies’ backcourt.
But the 2024 NBA Basketball Without Borders Europe Girls Camp MVP could play at least 10-15 minutes a game. Those opportunities will certainly not come in garbage time either. Eurobasket lists Popovic as a small forward; she has the versatility to play anywhere from the one to the three.
The 2022 FIBA U16 Women’s European Champion could begin her college career backing up the starters at any of those positions. Should that happen, Popovic could become more dangerous than she already is in Serbia’s top basketball league.
All of this is to say that the three-time EuroBasket Player of the Week will make a noticeable impact. If all goes well, Popovic could end her first season in the States with Big East All-Freshman Team honors.
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