Polish guard Ania Makurat excited to play for ‘rock star’ Geno Auriemma
Ania Makurat could have stayed home to play professionally, but the opportunity to suit up for 11-time national champion UConn was too good to pass up.
And so, Makurat, a 6foot-1 guard from Poland, decided to sign with the Huskies.
“I was trying to figure out what was going to be the best for me, but then I got messages from UConn. I had no doubt that was going to be the best,” Makurat, 19, said Wednesday by phone.
Makurat, who announced her commitment Tuesday night, plans to enroll in summer school and will be eligible to play immediately. The addition gives the Huskies nine scholarship players for the upcoming season.
There was the possibility Makurat’s Polish team, Arka Gdynia, would offer her a monetary incentive to stay, thus making her ineligible for college. However, Makurat was dead set on joining the program she’s long rooted for.
“For sure they wanted me to stay,” Makurat said. “They were happy with how I played, how I performed. … When they heard that UConn (was interested), they didn’t have any problems and didn’t even offer me anything because they knew that I had already made my decision.”
Makurat first learned UConn might be interested in her through scouts in Europe. She said, at the time, it seemed too good to be true.
“I got a message that they could have interest in me, and I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? I don’t believe you,’ ” she recalled.
That is, until UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey texted Makurat a few weeks before Christmas.
“It was kind of impossible to me,” Makurat said. “I thought it was a joke and somebody was kidding me. It’s a dream come true. It was my dream program.”
Initially, Makurat seriously considered Oregon, saying she was “almost sure I was going to commit there.” She was also interested in South Florida, Ohio State and Utah, where her sister, Ola, will play after transferring from Liberty.
She didn’t spend anymore time wrestling over her decision, though, after UConn head coach Geno Auriemma visited her home on March 13.
“He’s like a rock star everywhere,” Makurat said. “It’s the best program in history, and I think he’s the best coach. I think it’s super special to meet him and talk with him and to be his player. It’s something special and I couldn’t imagine that someday it’s going to happen.”
Someday very, very soon. With depth still an issue at UConn, Makurat figures to play prominently as a freshman. All-Americans Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier graduated, and sophomore guard Mikayla Coombs announced last week that she is transferring. Aubrey Griffin, a 6-1 guard from Ossining, N.Y., who is ranked No. 33 by ESPN in the Class of 2019, is the other incoming freshman.
Makurat signed her National Letter of Intent on Easter but wanted to wait until her season was over to announce her commitment. She did so on Instagram, writing, “I am incredibly grateful and happy to announce that I committed to the University of Connecticut finally. Those who know me well, know what an incredible journey it was to reach this very moment. I can’t wait for the next chapter! … Today I want to tell all young players in Poland that it is worth setting goals, aiming for them and believing in what is “impossible.” Work hard and believe in your dreams! Let’s go Huskies.”
Makurat grew up playing point guard much like her favorite player, Diana Taurasi, but said she sees herself more as a shooting guard. As the youngest player on her team in the Basket Liga Kobiet, Poland’s top women’s basketball league, she averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds.
She also represented Poland in the 2017 U-20 European Championship, averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.
“We’re excited to have Ania on campus this season,” Auriemma said in a statement. “She’s a versatile perimeter player and comes in with pro and international experience. Even though she’s a freshman, I think she’ll bring maturity to the team. We think she’s going to have an immediate impact on the roster.”
In addition to Makurat and Griffin, the Huskies currently have guards Crystal Dangerfield, Christyn Williams, Molly Bent and forwards Megan Walker, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Batouly Camara and Kyla Irwin on their 2019-20 roster. The possibility of adding a transfer remains, as former Tennessee guard Evina Westbrook — who announced her intention to transfer — recently visited the school.
“I know their roster,” Makurat said. “I think we’re going to be a great team. … I’m pretty sure that Coach Geno’s going to make something special from this team. I’m super happy that I can be part of it. We’ll do our best to win every game.”
⏩ Going for gold: Griffin and point guard Paige Bueckers, a 2020 UConn commit, were among 30 players invited to participate in the 2019 U19 World Cup Team trials.
Trials for the 12-member team will take place May
16-19 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., with training camp to follow in July. The U19 World Cup competition will be held July
20-28 in Thailand.