KK Arnold finally sets the record straight on her height

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• Breanna Stewart named 2023 WNBA MVP

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Last week’s Weekly:

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KK Arnold finally sets the record straight on her height

KK Arnold grew up idolizing Moriah Jefferson because, as she put it, “heart over size.” Jefferson stands just 5-foot-6 yet became the best point guard in the nation during her career at UConn, winning the Nancy Lieberman Award twice.

At first, that seemed like an apt comparison for Arnold. When she committed to the Huskies in November 2021, ESPN listed her at 5-foot-6 — the same height as Jefferson.

There was just one problem: Arnold had long grown taller.

“I think that height was, like, eighth grade maybe,” she said in June. “We’ve grown a little bit.”

Arriving in Storrs for summer workouts not only allowed Arnold to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing at UConn, but it also allowed her to correct the record about her height. The team’s official roster lists her at 5-foot-9.

“I've been on different rosters like 5-5, 5-8 and I'm like, ‘When does it get right?’ It’s finally right,” she said.

Still, Arnold and Jefferson have plenty of similarities.

“KK’s probably the first point guard since Moriah [Jefferson] that plays at that pace and is a little bit stronger,” said Geno Auriemma, who’s coached both of them.

That made Arnold’s entire year.

“When [my mom] showed me the article, I was smiling ear-to-ear because I was like, ‘Okay, we've got that type of comparison,’” she said.

Of course, Arnold doesn’t want to be the second coming of Jefferson, she’d rather be the first version of herself. So as honored as she was by Auriemma’s comparison, she’s focused on making her own impression.

“Coming here, I’m just proving myself and how I can be like her but also just be myself,” she said.

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