Getting to know new UConn women commit Ayanna Patterson, why she chose the Huskies and how she helps make UConn bad for basketball again

Ayanna Patterson didn’t need an in-person visit to Storrs, Conn. to know that UConn was the right place for her.

With the NCAA shutting down in-person recruiting visits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, UConn recruited Patterson, a 6-3 five-star wing out of Fort Wayne, Ind., via Zoom and phone calls.

But last month, Patterson got the closest she has in person to the Huskies’ operation, watching from the stands as UConn took on Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indiannapolis. Getting to watch Geno Auriemma, Chris Dailey and the rest of the UConn coaching staff interact with their players mid-game was enough to seal the deal for her.

Patterson, the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2022 per ESPN, announced her decision to attend UConn Saturday evening.

“It solidified everything that I wanted to do,” Patterson told The Courant following her announcement. “When you watch them play, it’s like, ‘okay, now I see everything they’re doing on TV.’ I could see how [Auriemma’s] coaching, how CD’s coaching, how they work together on different things on the floor. That made the decision perfect when I got to see them.”

“How coach communicates with his kids and how he pushes them to be great and pushes them to limits that they didn’t think they had and just player development — their program speaks for itself,” Patterson continued. “I just wanted to go and be a part of that. It was a dream of mine. You can go live out your dreams.”

Growing up in a basketball family, Patterson actually spent much of her childhood running track before delving into basketball going into middle school. Her father, Andre Sr., played for New Mexico State, while her brother, Andre Jr., played collegiately at UCLA and Tennessee, and had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and the G-League.

Fast-forward a few years and Patterson is currently considered an ultra athlete in the Class of 2022, with videos of her two-handed dunks off two feet going viral online.

“It’s really hard to find a better athlete, in the class, in the country, really in any class,” said Premier Basketball’s Shane Laflin.

Even growing up in Indiana, Patterson has long idolized UConn greats Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart, players she says she’s modeled her game after (”UConn’s big wherever you go, so in Indiana it was huge,” she said). Laflin and her club coach, Richard Jeter, think Patterson’s ceiling is sky-high: Jeter compared her game to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s and Candace Parker’s; Laflin sees a lot of Tamika Catchings.

“She’s one of those players that plays with a motor and still has an upside,” Laflin said. “She still can add things to her game but she kind of has an all-around game. She’s a terror on the glass. She can handle it out in front. She shoots the three, although it’s improving.

“There’s just nothing really that she’s not going to be able to do, and I think the argument could be made she has potentially the biggest pro projection in this class — and it’s a good class.”

Added Jeter: “Geno’s going to polish her up and get her right.” He’d know a thing or two about that: His wife is former Husky Tamika Williams-Jeter, who’s currently an assistant coach at Ohio State and won a pair of national titles with the Huskies in 2000 and 2002. Jeter said his wife called Patterson to congratulate her and welcome her to the UConn fraternity.

“Geno’s the greatest coach in all of basketball,” Jeter said. “And the position that she plays — stretch four, three/four — you think about Breanna Stewart, you think about Maya Moore, they all played similar positions... [Patterson’s] ceiling is very high. When she gets her [shooting] down, it’s going to be really, really tough to stop her because she’s so athletic.”

Patterson’s connection with Williams-Jeter didn’t have much bearing on her decision to go to UConn. It didn’t hurt, though, that Patterson became close with UConn 2021 signees Azzi Fudd and Amari DeBerry through USA Basketball and Blue Star 30 events. Jeter joked that DeBerry could earn an assistant coach position with the way she recruited Patterson and Fudd.

“I think of them like family,” Patterson said of Fudd and DeBerry.

Jeter and Laflin describe Patterson as a humble, unselfish person, a great teammate and basketball lover, as well as a fierce competitor. Jeter said their team didn’t lose often, but when they did Patterson would cry after every loss — making her a perfect fit for the culture at UConn.

For Patterson, she was drawn to Auriemma for his basketball mind, and appreciated the ease with which she could speak with him and Dailey about the game or just about life.

“As a parent, you always want to put your kid in a good situation,” Andre Sr. said. “I was comfortable with the coaches and I was comfortable with the team... The education was good, so it has the best of both worlds, so she was happy and I was happy. CD and coach, they did a real good job, I liked their honesty, and I felt comfortable. I felt like that was a place that could help my daughter grow from a girl into a woman.”

Patterson certainly has high basketball goals — for one, she wants to win four national titles at UConn. Off the court, she takes her academics seriously and would like to start a nonprofit down the line that hosts youth athletes at one facility for all their athletic and academic endeavors. She also wants to start a foundation that helps autistic children, inspired by having a nephew with autisim.

“I just see him, and he lights up,” Patterson said. “Those kids, I work firsthand with them, and I just want to help them and build their foundation.”

For the time being, things certainly look bright in Storrs: Patterson will be the fifth top five recruit on UConn’s roster by the time she arrives in Storrs in the fall of 2022, alongside Paige Bueckers (’20), Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme (’21) and Isuneh Brady (’22). Brady and Patterson briefly spoke Saturday but are looking forward to getting to know each other better.

Auriemma said last season that his goal was to make UConn bad for basketball again. Patterson’s commitment certainly is another step in that direction.

“It just adds to the pile of talent,” Laflin said. “With no graduating seniors this year, they bring in the class that they’re bringing in ’21, those two come in ’22 give you two really high-profile forwards that are kind of contrasting, balanced styles — it’s one of those rich getting richer situation.”

Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com