Amari DeBerry, a junior forward for UConn women’s basketball, stated on Monday that she is going to be utilizing the transfer portal following her three seasons with the team.
In addition to being a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 15 recruit in the Class of 2021, DeBerry has won two gold medals with USA Basketball. The 6-foot-6 forward played an average of just over six minutes per game during her tenure in Storrs, but she was never able to settle in with the Huskies. With a concussion sustained in practice prior to the Big East Tournament, she was sidelined for the final nine games of the season, logging a career-low 4.4 minutes per game in 2023–24.
In a post on X, DeBerry said, “I’ve loved my three years as a Husky and I’m so thankful for my teammates and coaches during my time in Storrs.” “I’m excited for this new chapter in my life and have made the decision to put my name in the transfer portal!
The first player to leave UConn since 2021–2022 is DeBerry. TheNextHoops.com revealed later on Monday that sophomore guard Ines Bettencourt would also use the transfer portal. Portugal’s Bettencourt played an average of just 5.6 minutes per game.
Since the 2020–21 season ended, the Huskies have only lost four more players to the portal; however, only three of those players were on scholarship, and none of them had appeared in a game. Coach Geno Auriemma has added three transfers in the same period of time, all of whom have started numerous games: Lou Lopez-Senechal from Fairfield in 2022–23, Dorka Juhasz from Ohio State in 2021–22, and Evina Westbrook from Tennessee in 2022–23.
Earlier this season, Auriemma remarked, “I’m kind of fortunate in that regard. There aren’t a whole lot of high-level players coming to play at Connecticut leaving for a better opportunity.” “Our strongest players have strong relationships with us.” They weren’t here to get all the money. They weren’t here for the other reasons.
UConn ended its 2023-24 season on a remarkable NCAA Tournament run to the Final Four, where the No. 3-seed Huskies fell to No. 1-seed Iowa in the national semifinal on Friday. The team returns superstar guard Paige Bueckers for 2024-25, and Auriemma also landed a commitment Saturday from Sarah Strong, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2024. UConn is the only program in the country with three top-20 recruits in next year’s class.
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