April 6, 2021
How UConn can navigate sharpshooter Anna Makurat’s transfer
By Zack Ward
Makurat played key for for 2019-20 Huskies
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Anna Makurat, a sophomore sharpshooter who was a key contributor for the UConn Huskies in 2019-20 but only played in 16 games this year due to a lower right leg injury, has decided to transfer. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma made the announcement on Tuesday and added the following:
“We appreciate Anna for her efforts and for being a great teammate the last two seasons. We wish Anna and her family the best as she continues her collegiate career.”
Makurat, a 6’1 guard from Sierakowice, Poland, offered:
“Thank you to my teammates and coaches at UConn for supporting me for the last two seasons. I’ve grown a lot both on and off the court in my first two years in America. I wish everyone the best at UConn, and I am excited for my next chapter.”
Makurat played in all 32 UConn games in 2019-20, starting 14 of them. She was fourth on the team in minutes per game (26.5), just ahead of star center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, so she was quite valuable. She averaged 7.9 points and 3.3 assists and was a 41 percent 3-point shooter with 59 makes that season.
The Huskies will return their starting backcourt of Paige Bueckers (5’11), Christyn Williams (5’11) and Evina Westbrook (6’0) and will also add No. 1 Hoop Gurlz recruit Azzi Fudd (5’11) to their roster, so they will be loaded at the guard position. No. 5 recruit Caroline Ducharme, who is the same height as Makurat, No. 30 recruit Saylor Poffenbarger (6’2) and solid rising sophomore contributor Nika Mühl (5’10) will add depth at the position. UConn has plenty of big guards.
However, UConn’s only three-point shooter who was better in 2020-21 than Makurat was in 2019-20 is Bueckers. So the Huskies will miss a scoring punch from distance off the bench.