UConn women’s basketball player Kayleigh Heckel has been awarded the 2026 NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award for women’s basketball.
Heckel’s Academic and Athletic Achievements
Heckel is a sophomore at UConn. She holds a 3.967 cumulative grade-point average. Her major is analytics and information management.
On the court, Heckel is a key player off the bench for the Huskies. The Huskies are currently undefeated. She is averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 assists per game.
The Elite Scholar-Athlete Award
The award was most recently known as the Elite 90 Award. It recognises the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average competing at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 92 men’s and women’s championships across its three divisions. Freshmen are not eligible for the award.
Following in Moore’s Footsteps
Heckel is UConn’s second Elite Scholar-Athlete Award winner. Maya Moore previously won the award in 2011.
Heckel’s achievement highlights the combination of academic excellence and athletic performance within the UConn women’s basketball programme.