Jovana Popovic Commits to UConn

[Gus Mahler]

I bet Slim Milkshake didn’t have the inside scoop on this one. 🤣

Milkshake. Scoop. I see what you did there.

 

[Dove]

Looks like Caitlin Clark.

 

[DEpup]

Laflin:

The 5-8 Popovic will remind Husky fans a little of Nika Muhl, although Popovic's game is a bit more focused on the offensive end compared to Muhl's defensive prowess. Popovic is a shifty floor general type, a poised ball handler and solid decision-maker. She is a crafty finisher around the rim and a knockdown catch-and-shooter from 3-point range.

2026 girls' recruiting class rankings: Texas up to No. 2 after early signing window

With a slew of pickups, Texas skyrockets up right behind USC as 15 teams join the expanded top 25 rankings.

www.espn.com

Its sort of weird to me that folks talk about the big O as a full international. I get it, she plays for the country of her grandparents but she is a US citizen, born and raised New Yorker.

 

[donalddoowop]

Counting error

Jovana and Olivia...4 years together

Maybe 4 NC together.

 

[ec33]

Maybe 4 NC together.

Winning the next 5 titles would be okay with me.

 

[Dove]

Dang!! I wanted Ana Popovich.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Does she pronounce her name with the J sounding like a Y? If so, then maybe it should be YoPop... 😉

Yes, it's a Y rather than a J. When Jovana is an upperclassman, she will be Yo Yo Ma! 😆

 

[PacoSwede]

getting a glimpse of a few film clips, jovanna's fluid movement was stunning, incredible. the stats and accolades are great too, but she reminds me of paige in her ability to get to where she wants so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly. geno said paige moved like water ... an accurate metaphor ... i see such magic in jovana. it's rare and so beautiful.

i'm late to the party: did this strike anyone else?

 

[Zarathustra]

getting a glimpse of a few film clips, jovanna's fluid movement was stunning, incredible. the stats and accolades are great too, but she reminds me of paige in her ability to get to where she wants so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly. geno said paige moved like water ... an accurate metaphor ... i see such magic in jovana. it's rare and so beautiful.

i'm late to the party: did this strike anyone else?

I have dreams also.... The incarnation of "BUCKETS" at UCONN.
But let us hope not that Jovana "needs" to be Paige, but
that she has a "Husky" desire to be the best version of herself that
she is capable of becoming. Ditto of the following players: Go Serbia!, Go Croatia!, Go Italy/Ecuador!, Go Egypt!, Go Ireland! Z

 

[From Canada]

Jovana Popovic #28 is a player with character. I rewatched her game with Serbia's senior team at Eurobasket 2025 six months ago. For those who haven't seen it, let me remind you that this was the game in which she had the most playing time, due to the fact that the team's starting point guard and best player, Yvonne Anderson, was in foul trouble. In the attached video, I started the action at the very end of the third quarter, with 5 seconds left. As you can see, she decided to take the last shot, crossed the court quickly, and ultimately missed. If you look closely, two of her teammates clearly showed their disapproval. You can continue watching the start of the last quarter. She is still in the game, but it is #17 Jovana Nogic, 10 years her senior, who is given the ball at the start of the quarter. After an attack on each side, she resumes her role as PG, even though Nogic asks her for the ball. Let's bet that Geno didn't hate that, even if two of her teammates didn't appreciate it. It's quite a feat, at only 17 years old, in her debut with the senior national team.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

I haven't read through the whole thread to check but did someone raise the possibility that this probably means Jerzy Robinson is going somewhere else. Well, since there is also no confirmation of her visiting Storrs, is a probable another indicator, though not necessarily correct.

If all the video clips are real and some not AI-generated, then Jovana Popovic is indeed a great prospect and needed at PG after KK and Kayleigh move on but also significantly helping while they are still around. She shows superior offensive repertory but am not sure about defense, yet....she needs to strengthen a bit.

Will UConn fill the 15 scholarships again? If Jerzy Robinson is not coming and she probably would read this signing as a hint that UConn has given up on her.....(maybe, we don't know anything beyond the tea leaves and her not visiting is probably her own sign to UConn).....will UConn be able to persuade Sara Okeke to join? Hard to tell (she could go pro in Europe and get paid better than in WNBA). But at only what, 18?, she might consider it a challenge to go to an elite University program to refine her obvious skills while getting a degree, that is worth pursuing that sets her up for life.

If she knows Blanca, she might ask for inside information. If she signs, that's two more high-end front court players. What will happen to Ice and Ayanna? (They are part of a group who, together, has had unfortunate injury-riddled time at UConn: Paige, Azzi, Caroline.....and Jana, too).

Wellll, better just wait and see things develop as it comes....the long wait for Sarah helped bring in NC12.

Egypt, Croatia (via NY), Serbia, Spain (?), Ecuador, Ireland......going International in his old age is not an indication he will retire soon or maybe he is thinking that spreading his wisdom this way is the best way to go.....and help his eventual successor? (not sure UConn can get her back from Vanderbilt).

And, this current team is potentially well equipped (though still in early formative stage in team play....including read-react skill levels) to defend the NC. Even with just the two 2026 signees, they will be up there again fighting for the top spot....all through the Sarah Strong years (it looks like Blanca could help a lot, too). Could history repeat itself? Four straight again?

Forget it.....they almost lost to Michigan, got rattled in 3Q....against a team that likes to play fast and has a true-blue sharpshooter who challenged Azzi to a duel. Ah, I forgot: they lost a number of games last year and then rose like the Phoenix to soar.

Still fun times in Storrs....

 

[ec33]

getting a glimpse of a few film clips, jovanna's fluid movement was stunning, incredible. the stats and accolades are great too, but she reminds me of paige in her ability to get to where she wants so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly. geno said paige moved like water ... an accurate metaphor ... i see such magic in jovana. it's rare and so beautiful.

i'm late to the party: did this strike anyone else?

A very interesting comparison. She move well enough if not exactly quick but with such natural intelligence that she can get where she wants -- like Paige.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I haven't read through the whole thread to check but did someone raise the possibility that this probably means Jerzy Robinson is going somewhere else. Well, since there is also no confirmation of her visiting Storrs, is a probable another indicator, though not necessarily correct.

At least 1 source says Jerzy is down to South Carolina and LSU. Another source says she had a bad visit at UConn. Yet another questions whether she visited UConn. A consensus says she will decide in the spring. I'm happy that we got Pop!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I swear I saw one YouTube yesterday purporting to say she committed. I can't remember who it was claimed to be. Things have to be verified.

 

[Charliebball]

At least 1 source says Jerzy is down to South Carolina and LSU. Another source says she had a bad visit at UConn. Yet another questions whether she visited UConn. A consensus says she will decide in the spring. I'm happy that we got Pop!

I'd love to know how a recruit has a "bad" visit to UConn............was the Dairy Barn out of Husky Tracks? ☺️

 

[TheGOAT23]

I'd love to know how a recruit has a "bad" visit to UConn............was the Dairy Barn out of Husky Tracks? ☺️

Ohh! That’s very bad. I would be p’ed, too! Love me some Husky Tracks. UCONN will survive with or without her.

 

[ucmiami2]

I really like this signing, and I think she is a very good player, but I am not going to call her the next Paige - that is a mountain of expectations that no one is going to live up to. (FYI - Popovic has sailed completely under ESPN's radar.)

As for further recruiting in the 2026 class, a lot can happen in the six months before spring signing which starts on April 15 and has no official NCAA end date. Jerzy and Sara Okeke (unranked) stand out as the only 'impact' recruits waiting for sping signing, but by April 15 the transfer portal should be quite full and the landscape will be quite different for many schools. The signing of transfers begins on May 1, but we have seen verbal commitments almost as soon as a player enters the portal. So speculation is a bit early for me.

And just a thought - how many HS recruits have signed in spring for Uconn in recent memory? Geno generally wants players that know they want to play at Uconn. Sara gets a little bit of a pass because she is new to the US high school/recruiting scene.

 

[ec33]

I really like this signing, and I think she is a very good player, but I am not going to call her the next Paige - that is a mountain of expectations that no one is going to live up to. (FYI - Popovic has sailed completely under ESPN's radar.)

As for further recruiting in the 2026 class, a lot can happen in the six months before spring signing which starts on April 15 and has no official NCAA end date. Jerzy and Sara Okeke (unranked) stand out as the only 'impact' recruits waiting for sping signing, but by April 15 the transfer portal should be quite full and the landscape will be quite different for many schools. The signing of transfers begins on May 1, but we have seen verbal commitments almost as soon as a player enters the portal. So speculation is a bit early for me.

And just a thought - how many HS recruits have signed in spring for Uconn in recent memory? Geno generally wants players that know they want to play at Uconn. Sara gets a little bit of a pass because she is new to the US high school/recruiting scene.

Moving like Paige does not make someone Paige. Amongst many, many things, we are not going to see Jovana Popovic, the power forward.

 

[BobbyJ]

I really like this signing, and I think she is a very good player, but I am not going to call her the next Paige - that is a mountain of expectations that no one is going to live up to. (FYI - Popovic has sailed completely under ESPN's radar.)

As for further recruiting in the 2026 class, a lot can happen in the six months before spring signing which starts on April 15 and has no official NCAA end date. Jerzy and Sara Okeke (unranked) stand out as the only 'impact' recruits waiting for sping signing, but by April 15 the transfer portal should be quite full and the landscape will be quite different for many schools. The signing of transfers begins on May 1, but we have seen verbal commitments almost as soon as a player enters the portal. So speculation is a bit early for me.

And just a thought - how many HS recruits have signed in spring for Uconn in recent memory? Geno generally wants players that know they want to play at Uconn. Sara gets a little bit of a pass because she is new to the US high school/recruiting scene.

Just a heads up- ESPN doesn't have any radar in Europe. Shane Laflin and whatever few assistants he may have only rank US HS players.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'd love to know how a recruit has a "bad" visit to UConn............was the Dairy Barn out of Husky Tracks? ☺️

Maybe Jerzy asked for NIL in 7 figures?

 

[Charliebball]

Maybe Jerzy asked for NIL in 7 figures?

I guess that she didn't know that UConn pays NIL in ice cream and eggs......

 

[Cuango]

I haven't read through the whole thread to check but did someone raise the possibility that this probably means Jerzy Robinson is going somewhere else. Well, since there is also no confirmation of her visiting Storrs, is a probable another indicator, though not necessarily correct.

If all the video clips are real and some not AI-generated, then Jovana Popovic is indeed a great prospect and needed at PG after KK and Kayleigh move on but also significantly helping while they are still around. She shows superior offensive repertory but am not sure about defense, yet....she needs to strengthen a bit.

Will UConn fill the 15 scholarships again? If Jerzy Robinson is not coming and she probably would read this signing as a hint that UConn has given up on her.....(maybe, we don't know anything beyond the tea leaves and her not visiting is probably her own sign to UConn).....will UConn be able to persuade Sara Okeke to join? Hard to tell (she could go pro in Europe and get paid better than in WNBA). But at only what, 18?, she might consider it a challenge to go to an elite University program to refine her obvious skills while getting a degree, that is worth pursuing that sets her up for life.

If she knows Blanca, she might ask for inside information. If she signs, that's two more high-end front court players. What will happen to Ice and Ayanna? (They are part of a group who, together, has had unfortunate injury-riddled time at UConn: Paige, Azzi, Caroline.....and Jana, too).

Wellll, better just wait and see things develop as it comes....the long wait for Sarah helped bring in NC12.

Egypt, Croatia (via NY), Serbia, Spain (?), Ecuador, Ireland......going International in his old age is not an indication he will retire soon or maybe he is thinking that spreading his wisdom this way is the best way to go.....and help his eventual successor? (not sure UConn can get her back from Vanderbilt).

And, this current team is potentially well equipped (though still in early formative stage in team play....including read-react skill levels) to defend the NC. Even with just the two 2026 signees, they will be up there again fighting for the top spot....all through the Sarah Strong years (it looks like Blanca could help a lot, too). Could history repeat itself? Four straight again?

Forget it.....they almost lost to Michigan, got rattled in 3Q....against a team that likes to play fast and has a true-blue sharpshooter who challenged Azzi to a duel. Ah, I forgot: they lost a number of games last year and then rose like the Phoenix to soar.

Still fun times in Storrs....

I saw somewhere that Jerzy was down to two, and we were out. I know LSU was one but I’ve forgotten the other.

 

[From Canada]

Just a heads up- ESPN doesn't have any radar in Europe. Shane Laflin and whatever few assistants he may have only rank US HS players.

Shane Laflin and his team also rank Canadian players whose teams participate in a number of major events in the US, where applicable. This is indicated by (CAN) after the name of their school. There are two in 2026, three in 2027, and one on the 2029 Watch List.

 

[veivoli]

Its sort of weird to me that folks talk about the big O as a full international. I get it, she plays for the country of her grandparents but she is a US citizen, born and raised New Yorker.

According to FIBA she holds dual citizenship. She'd have to have that in order to play for Croatia, Shirley?