DeBerry, Bettencourt enter transfer portal

Two UConn women’s basketball players entered the transfer portal on Monday: Junior forward Amari DeBerry and sophomore guard Inês Bettencourt.

"We appreciate Amari’s time at UConn," head coach Geno Auriemma said in a release. "We wish her and her family the best as she continues her collegiate career.”

"Inês is a bright person and player, and we’re thankful for her time at UConn," Auriemma said in a later statement. "We wish her and her family the best as she continues her collegiate career.”

“Thank you UConn Nation for these past two years,” Bettencourt wrote on Instagram. “Being able to come from my small island in Portugal to the United States for the first time at 17 is something I would have never dreamed of. To my coaches, I want to thank you for taking a chance on me when no one else would. To my teammates, thank you for accepting me into this amazing family and to UConn Nation, you guys have been some of my biggest supporters during my time at UConn. I will always hold a place in my heart for this amazing experience and cannot wait to see what chapter is next for me. Thank you UConn!”

Neither played earned a spot in the rotation during their time with the Huskies. DeBerry arrived as the No. 15 player in the class of 2021 but never put it all together in Storrs. She appeared in 65 games over her three years at UConn, setting career-highs with 26 minutes (vs. Princeton in 2022-23), 13 points and eight rebounds (both against Seton Hall on Jan. 17, 2023). The high point in DeBerry’s career came when she appeared in the national championship game in 2022.

Bettencourt was a surprise addition to the roster ahead of the 2022-23 season. When Paige Bueckers went down with a torn ACL in August, the Huskies scrambled to find a guard to replace her and ultimately found Bettencourt. Initially committed to Northwest Florida — a junior college — she flipped to UConn nine days before she arrived on campus.

During her two seasons, Bettencourt played in 53 games and started one — at Maryland in 2022-23 after Nika Mühl suffered a concussion and left the Huskies with just two other guards. In that game, she played a career-high 29 minutes and totaled two points and three assists in an impressive performance given the circumstances.

With the two players departing, UConn now has two open scholarships to use on potential transfer portal additions.