The UConn women’s basketball team added a second player to its 2026 recruiting class on Thursday, signing 5-foot-8 Serbian guard Jovana Popovic.
Popovic currently plays professionally in Serbia and also has extensive experience competing for the national team. She made her FIBA debut at the 2021 FIBA U16 Women’s European Challengers and has since participated in the 2022 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship Division B, 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship and 2024 and 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket tournaments. She made her first appearance with the senior national team at the 2025 Eurobasket tournament.
Popovic is currently averaging 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists through the first five games of the season with ZKK Art Basket in the First League of Serbia. In 2024-25, she was named the league’s MVP and best shooter at just 17 years old. She helped lead her club to its first Serbian championship in 2023-24.
Popovic will be UConn’s first player from Serbia, continuing the program’s trend of bringing in international recruits over the last several years. The Huskies signed two international players in 2025-26 in Ecuadorian forward Blanca Quinonez and Irish center Gandy Malou-Mamel, and the current roster also features Egyptian center Jana El Alfy.
Popovic joins No. 3 recruit Olivia Vukosa in UConn’s 2026 class. Popovic and Vukosa, who represents Croatia in international competition, played together previously on the World Team against Team USA in April at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland.
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