For every female high school basketball player, making it to the WNBA is the ultimate dream. Apparently, there is no better place to start working toward that ambition than Storrs, Connecticut. And yes, that explains Sydney Savoury’s decision to commit to the UConn Huskies.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
As shared by SportsCenterNext on X, the Belleville High School guard has officially committed to UConn, choosing Geno Auriemma’s Huskies over several major programs, including North Carolina, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, and UCLA. And yes, beyond just joining one of the most successful programs in women’s college basketball, Savoury has made it clear that her long-term professional ambitions played a significant role in her decision.
“One of the main reasons why I would love to go down there and take a visit is because they’re a winning program,” Savoury said. “I know that he’s going to coach me hard, and he’s sent so many players to the WNBA. That’s obviously my goal down the line, so I think just obviously with the coaching and the winning pedigree, that would be awesome.”
Savoury is one of the premier players in the country for the 2027 recruiting cycle. She ranks No. 9 nationally according to the ESPN SC Next 100. In the same vein, 247Sports ranks her No. 5 nationally and the No. 2 shooting guard in the country, while the USA TODAY Composite Ranking places her at No. 7 overall.
And of course, looking at her high school basketball resume, it is quite clear that these rankings are no overstatement. Standing at 5-foot-11, Savoury is a highly physical, three-level scoring threat. She was the Gatorade Michigan Girls Basketball Player of the Year during her sophomore season in 2024/25. And as a junior, she averaged 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, guiding Belleville High School to a stellar 25-2 record.
In fact, Savoury already has international experience with Team USA U18. She won a gold medal representing USA Basketball at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup, highlighted by a standout 15-point performance against Argentina.
With this resume, it is no wonder why college programs from all over the country were falling over themselves to land her commitment, as she ended up receiving 45 total scholarship offers from major programs across the country. As it appears, she has now opted for the UConn Huskies, and beyond her WNBA ambitions, she also sees the Geno Auriemma led program as the perfect environment for her all-around development.
“I truly believe UConn is the perfect place for me to continue growing as a player, student and person. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to get started and be part of such a special program.”
With this commitment, Sydney Savoury is now the first player to officially pledge to UConn’s 2027 recruiting class. And yes, the Huskies remain in the hunt for several other elite prospects.
Kaleena Smith and Ivanna Wilson Manyacka Headline UConn’s Ambitious 2027 Recruiting Pursuit
Landing one of the country’s top recruits is certainly a reason to celebrate. But for Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies, there is still plenty of work to be done on the recruiting trail.
As published by ESPN, the Huskies are also currently in the mix for No. 1-ranked point guard Kaleena Smith, No. 3-ranked wing Ivanna Wilson Manyacka, No. 8-ranked Haylen Ayers, and 6-foot-5 Hungarian post player Kinga Josepovits.
Kaleena Smith, a 5-foot-6 point guard from Ontario, California, is an explosive, generational scorer with unlimited shooting range beyond 25 feet. Smith averaged a staggering 31.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.5 steals per game as a junior, leading her team to a California Open Division State Championship. Like Savoury, she also suited up for Team USA at the 2026 FIBA U18 AmeriCup, earning gold and a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Five by averaging 19.8 points and 6.4 assists.
Haylen Ayers, a 6-foot guard from University School of Jackson and a three-time Tennessee Miss Basketball winner, also won gold alongside Savoury with Team USA at the 2026 FIBA U18 tournament. Ivanna Wilson Manyacka, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-2 versatile two-way wing and a two-time Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year.
Following their recent success recruiting players from Europe, UConn also views Josepovits as its next major international target. Ranked as a top-four international prospect outside the United States, the 6-foot-5 center has already featured at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Building on an offseason in which they finished No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings, the Huskies are again clearly on a serious push for 2027. But of course, other top programs will be chasing these same prospects, and UConn will have to win each recruiting battle one at a time.