UConn: UConn stars KK Arnold, Kaitlyn Chen & more react to Morgan Cheli's photo dump recapping season

UConn guard Morgan Cheli is feeling the love amid her recovery from ankle surgery. The freshman had a procedure back in February to fix an ankle injury, which sidelined her for the rest of the season.

On Monday, she posted an Instagram dump with photos from her first season with the Huskies.

"see you soon…🤞🏻💙," Cheli's Instagram caption read.

There were a couple of pictures of Cheli on the UConn bench as well as during the Huskies' championship celebrations. There was also one of Cheli in action as she guarded USC's JuJu Watkins.

Cheli's teammates showed their support in the comments.

"Umm see ya in June🌚," UConn guard KK Arnold said.

KK Arnold comments on teammate Morgan Cheli's Instagram photo dump

"Morgan!!🥹💙," sophomore Qadence Samuels commented.

"Bye Morgan!," Huskies guard Kaitlyn Chen said.

Cheli's UConn teammates show her love in her Instagram comments

"Twinnnnn," former UConn forward Aubrey Griffin commented.

"Mooooo!!!😝🤟," UConn's Ashlynn Shade said.

Ashlynn Shade uses her nickname for Cheli

Morgan Cheli's freshman season at UConn cut short due to injury

Morgan Cheli came to UConn already well-decorated. The guard was ESPN's No. 11-ranked recruit in her class and was a 2024 First-Team All-American for both McDonald's and Naismith during her high school career at Archbishop Mitty.

NCAA Womens Basketball: Iowa State at Connecticut - Source: Imagn

Cheli committed to UConn in November 2023 and came to the school as a versatile player with wing abilities and impressive stats across the board. She made an immediate impact on the Huskies, appearing in 24 games off the bench before her injury.

The guard averaged 13.3 minutes per game and put up 2.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.4 steals per game. She shot 39.1%, including 37% from beyond the arc.

Cheli's freshman campaign was cut short by an ankle injury. It's unclear exactly when or how she sustained the injury, but after she missed three consecutive contests, head coach Geno Auriemma admitted that things didn't look good.

“Her ankle is not responding the way we hoped it would respond,” Auriemma said.

Later that week, it was announced that Cheli underwent successful ankle surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. She will look to return as a role player for UConn this coming season.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Brad Taningco