Morgan Cheli fitting in quick with UConn

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Morgan Cheli fitting in quick with UConn

It didn’t take long for Morgan Cheli to settle into her new life at UConn. While KK Arnold and the rest of the team’s returners worked to get the other newcomers out of their shells, the freshman from California had no trouble being herself from day one.

“Morgan came in with a great energy, yelling every time she walks into a room,” KK Arnold said. “I don't think she needed any help.”

“Morgan's very outgoing,” Ashlynn Shade added.

It wasn’t that hard for Cheli. All she had to do was lean into her personality.

“I'm a pretty bubbly person, I would say,” she explained. “I wanted to come in with high energy and everything because that's what I want to help bring to the team.”

That’s not to say Cheli’s first month in Storrs went perfectly, though. She still had plenty to adjust to — on and off the court.

For starters, she’s a long way from home as a native of Los Altos, California. While she had no trouble connecting with her new teammates, it wasn’t easy being on the other side of the country from her family.

“Acclimating, being away from home,” Cheli said when asked about the hardest part of her first month at UConn. “I'm from California, so I’m coming a long way… Very thankful for my phone and my computer because I can FaceTime my family, my friends.”

In terms of basketball, Cheli dealt with a hamstring injury that limited her during the workouts. When she did get on the court, she went through the typical adjustment period for newcomers — but like fellow freshman, Allie Ziebell, Cheli embraced it.

“It's exceeded my expectations,” she said. “Obviously I knew what I was getting into, but being here, it's different. It's been great. I really loved it.”

“I know coming here, it’s a very high standard,” she expanded. “But just how everybody is willing to really fight for every like minute in practice and everything and how we're all working towards success, I think that has just exceeded my expectations.”

A 6-2 guard, Cheli played point guard for her high school team but should offer plenty of versatility in UConn’s backcourt. When she signed her letter of intent back in November, Geno Auriemma called her a “fearless rebounder” and mentioned that she doesn’t need to score point to make an impact.

That’s something Cheli takes pride in.

“I'm confident in my abilities and what I can bring to the court,” she said. “But whatever they need, I'm going to do. So however I can contribute and help us succeed in any way, that's what I'm here for.”

When the fall semester begins in late August, Cheli will be better prepared than she was for summer workouts. She’s already spent a month with her teammates, got a taste of practice and has a better feel for campus — even if she still hasn’t totally figured out where everything is.

“Still figuring out paths and different things but yeah, it's been good,” she said.

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