In front of her idol, KK Arnold showed why she's UConn's most improved player

Few members of UConn’s current roster were more excited to see the 2015 and 2016 national championship teams than KK Arnold. The diminutive point guard grew up idolizing Moriah Jefferson, to the point that the mere mention of the two-time All-American’s name drew a giddy reaction from Arnold, who put her hands to her face in excitement.

“She meant a lot to me. Watching her as I grew up, one of the smallest guards out there, I really aspire to be her and just have an opportunity to have her watch us. But not only that, just to pick her brain a little bit, ask her questions, being able to contact her, that's a dream come true.”

As UConn inducted those teams into the Huskies of Honor before the 99-50 win over Villanova on Thursday, Jefferson made a point to give Arnold a hug as she walked out to center court.

Arnold repaid her idol by putting together one of her best games of the season. She tied season-highs with 13 points and seven assists to go along with four steals — all in just 22 minutes.

“I was asked by the TV people doing the game who I thought was our most improved player up to this point. I would say that would probably be KK,” Geno Auriemma said postgame. “Her court awareness, her confidence in herself and just the way she carries herself.”

Beyond the intangibles, Arnold’s progress also showed up in the stat sheet. Last season, she only matched or surpassed 13 points twice — and did so in back-to-back contests, at Marquette and at Villanova, to open the new year.

Arnold also drilled a 3-pointer and made multiple free throws, a combination she only achieved three times during her sophomore campaign. With a 1-2 day from deep on Thursday, she’s now shooting 32.3 percent on threes this year, an 11 percent increase from last season. Arnold made it a major focus over the summer and now, that work is paying dividends.

“I was very intentional about what I was working on, just translating everything that I do work on into the game,” she said. “Just me harping on the specific things I need to. So, of course, my outside shooting, just making sure that I really stay consistent on that, make sure I get a lot of shots up.”

Even with all those improvements, Arnold’s best asset still might be the spark she provides. That was readily apparent during a sequence in the third quarter when she knocked in a 3-pointer, then immediately stole the ball and took it for a layup. Those plays stretched UConn’s run to 12-3 out of the half and forced Villanova to take a timeout.

“She is an energy giver,” Auriemma said. “You can plug into her. She's like a battery and everybody else feeds off of it. Every team needs that and she inspires other people to be like that.”

The last time the Huskies won back-to-back national championships, a short, high-energy point guard ran the offense in the form of Jefferson. Now, Arnold — in the same mold as her idol — will try to lead UConn to the same result 10 years later.

Fourth quarter frenzy

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