UConn recruit Jana El Alfy officially joins team, not expected to play this season
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma announced Monday that women’s basketball recruit Jana El Alfy has officially enrolled for the spring 2023 spring semester and will join the team immediately.
The 6-foot-4 center from Cairo, Egypt can practice and travel with the team, though the school said in a release that she is not expected to participate during the 2022-23 season.
El Alfy will wear No. 24 at UConn.
She is the first player from Egypt in program history, having represented Egypt in FIBA competition three times, including the 2021 FIBA U16 African Championship, the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2022 FIBA U18 African Women’s Championship. At the 2022 U18 African Championship, El Alfy led the tournament with 24 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, leading Egypt to a silver medal.
“She wants to be a trailblazer,” coach Geno Auriemma said in November. “She wants to be that person from that part of the world who has never played at this level or go to the WNBA and help Egypt become a basketball country. She really talks about that a lot.”
She has participated in the NBA Academy Women’s Program since 2019, and fellow alums include current UConn players Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl.
El Alfy also competed for Al Ahly Sporting Club.
