The Huskies' class is in very good position after signing Serbian standout Jovana Popovic on Thursday.
Jovana Popovic, a 5-foot-8 guard from Serbia, signed with UConn on Thursday as part of its Class of 2026.
Head coach Geno Auriemma announced the signing. She will be the first Serbian to play for UConn.
"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."
An international standout
She has significant experience playing on the national team for Serbia, making her debut in 2021 at the FIBA U16 Women's European Challengers. She debuted with the senior national team at the 2025 FIBA Women's Eurobasket.
Currently, she plays for ZKK Art Basket in Belgrade in the First League of Serbia. In her first five games, she has averages of 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
In the class, she joins five-star recruit Olivia Vukosa, a 6-4 center from Christ the King in Middle Village, N.Y. The 247Sports composite lists the 6-4 Vukosa as the No. 1 center in the nation, the No. 4 player overall.
Elsewhere in the NCAA
The signing of Popovic came as a UConn target chose to play at Texas.
Five-star guard Addison Bjorn signed her national letter of intent on Thursday – one of two blue-chip recruits inked by the Longhorns this week.
Bjorn, from Riverside (Mo.) Park Hill South, had seven finalists, according to Horns247: Texas, Duke, Iowa, Kansas, Notre Dame and UConn. She visited all seven campuses and coaching staffs before choosing the Longhorns, per the report.
The 6-foot-2 Bjorn, who projects as a guard in college, is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 small forward and No. 9 player overall by the 247Sports composite.
The signing activity on Thursday makes the four-member class the No. 1 in the nation, according to the composite.
Also signing was 6-3 Bri Crittendon (Riverdale Ridge, Thornton, Colo.), ranked as the nation’s No. 3 power forward nationally and No. 8 overall player. Her fellow five-star, Aaliah Spaight (Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas) is a 5-6 point guard, ranked No. 4 at the position.
Four-star prospect Amalia Holguin (Sage School, Newport Coast, Calif.), is a 5-9 shooting guard, No 12 at that spot in the rankings.
For UConn, having two recruits in the class likely mirrors just what Auriemma knows he needs, just as the Longhorns knew they will be losing five seniors off the current roster.
The young Huskies have only three seniors and/or grad students on the roster. They have three freshmen and six sophomores, and Auriemma later can tap the transfer pool if he is looking for another specific type of player.
Related UConn Stories
BUECKERS STARS IN FUN COMMERCIAL: Rookie of the Year? Actress? What can't Paige Bueckers do? CLICK HERE:
PAIGE OFFERS PRAISE, ADVICE: The former UConn star caught up with ESPN at the team's season-opener on Tuesday. CLICK HERE:
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our UCONN on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Huskies fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!