Photo: UConn star Kamorea Arnold expresses gratitude for her national championship-themed birthday cake

Kamorea Arnold posted a photo of a cake with UConn Huskies' official colors on her Instagram on Monday. The two-tiered design flaunted the signature blue and grey combination in the lower half, with the phrase "Hey Girly Pops" and her branding. The top layer featured the school's red accent color with "2025 NATIONAL CHAMP" written on it beside an edible NCAA trophy graphic.

Surrounded by a cluster of hoop-related decorative elements, a cutout of KK Arnold holding the championship trophy stood on top. Heidi Hendley designed the cake from the Haltom City-based Get Baked Bakery, whom the star guard thanked by writing:

"Appreciate the love @hendleyheidi."

KK Arnold reacts to her birthday cake | via @kamoreaarnold/ig

Kamorea Arnold's appreciation post comes days after her 20th birthday on Friday. The guard is fresh off her first NCAA title run with the Huskies as a sophomore. Coming off a promising freshman year, Arnold gave up her starting role this season behind the return of Azzi Fudd and the addition of Sarah Strong.

She provided valuable contributions off the bench, averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 47.4% shooting from the field.

While KK Arnold scored in double digits six times during the regular season, her best outing came in the NCAA championship game against South Carolina.

She scored nine points and three assists on 3 of 3 shooting. Arnold also helped take the pressure off Paige Bueckers on offense and locked up the Gamecocks' guards on the other end.

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Kamorea Arnold cheered for Paige Bueckers on her special day

Kamorea Arnold was at UT Arlington's College Park Center for her birthday, celebrating her former UConn teammate's once-in-a-lifetime night. Arnold was cheering for Paige Bueckers during her WNBA regular-season debut against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.

She attended the game with her younger brother Drew. The Dallas Wings were downed 99-84 in the season opener. Bueckers posted 10 points off 3 of 10 shooting alongside seven rebounds and two assists.

With the departure of Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen from the starting lineup, Kamorea Arnold is expected to reenter the opening lineup in the 2025-26 season.

About the author

An NBA writer turning to basketball grassroots, Saahil Dhillan covers the ever-changing world of college hoops for Sportskeeda. Alongside insightful analysis, thought-provoking opinions and live-game reporting, Saahil will break down on and off court plays of NCAA basketball.

Saahil's extensive writing background stems from his love for sports and production collaborations with national-level athletes and coaches across multiple sports, giving him a deeper understanding of athletes' mindsets and the humane side of athletic performance.

Among his favorite stories are Derrick Rose's continued perseverance and Kobe Bryant's mental shift after mounting four straight airballs in the 1997 Conference semifinals. On the collegiate level, Saahil is particularly stirred by Mike Krzyzewski's stint at Team USA and is keen to document Cooper Flagg's journey to the big league.

When not reporting, Saahil is chasing his pets, sunsets and his next pasta recipe; sometimes all three at once.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.