UConn hooper Kayleigh Heckel shares wholesome moment with former Exodus Hoops teammate Shy Hawkins

Although they are not teammates in the NCAA, Kayleigh Heckel and Shy Hawkins were teammates in high school. While they went to different high schools, they were both members of Exodus NYC on the EYBL Circuit. They formed a close bond there that has stayed strong despite playing on different college teams.

On Saturday, Kayleigh Heckel shared a photo on her Instagram story of the two former Exodus Hoops teammates having a wholesome moment.

"My girl Shy Hawkins," Heckel wrote.

Image via Kayleigh Heckel's Instagram story.

Kayleigh Heckel completed her first year of college basketball this past season at USC. She had a good start to her career, starting seven of the 34 games she appeared in. She also put up good stats for a freshman, averaging 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Shy Hawkins had a similar season, though slightly less impressive. As a member of the Syracuse Orange, Hawkins appeared in 27 games, starting once. In those games, she averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

While Heckel had a better season, she got more opportunities to play. She averaged 16.9 minutes per game, whereas Hawkins only averaged 11.0 minutes per game.

Kayleigh Heckel signs with UConn after entering the transfer portal

While Kayleigh Heckel had a strong first college season, she chose not to stay with USC. Instead, she entered the portal, and on Monday, she signed with the UConn Huskies. She is joining a team that won the national championship in March but saw many of its stars, including Paige Bueckers, leave the team.

With the announcement that Heckel is joining the Huskies, coach Geno Auriemma released a statement expressing his excitement.

"Kayleigh has a passion for the game," Auriemma said. "She plays at a quick pace and can impact both ends of the court. She's a great teammate and someone who wants to grow on and off the court. We're excited to have her at Connecticut."

Heckel was not the first player the Huskies added in the transfer portal this offseason. They also signed Wisconsin standout Serah Williams on May 2.

Williams has played three college seasons, all for the Wisconsin Badgers. She had her best season yet in 2024-25, averaging 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. She is expected to replace a lot of the scoring lost by the departure of Paige Bueckers.