5-star Morgan Cheli manifested her UConn commitment early on
STORRS, Conn. (BVM) – Morgan Cheli, a five-star UConn women’s basketball commit, was always destined to commit to the Huskies. The 6-foot-2 guard is currently a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School (CA) in the Class of 2024 and is working hard for the opportunity she pictured as a young child.
Like many other young basketball players around the country, Cheli grew up envisioning what it would feel like to play at UConn. So, as an elementary school child, she cut out photos of the UConn players and glued them to a journal.
“I had pictures of UConn players glued on there and it covered my journal,” Cheli said. “It was quite the art production. UConn has always been a dream destination for me.”
As the saying for manifestation (turning something from an idea into reality) goes – “put it out in the universe.” That’s exactly what Cheli did. She said the UConn-themed journal was something that motivated her, and now, she hopes “to be an inspiration for younger kids” to dream big like she did.
Cheli received well over 40 D-I offers – including from South Carolina, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Tennessee and Arizona – but the final decision was an obvious one for her.
“I was very fortunate to be able to speak with so many coaches from all across the country,” Cheli said. “I also really knew what I was looking for so I think that made it easier for me to decide. It was not one thing that made me want to commit because it is everything about UConn. I want to become the best player I can be. I want to learn from the best coaches, play with amazing teammates and win a national championship. UConn is special.”
Cheli noted that she has no plans on graduating early in December of 2023 because she has one goal she needs to accomplish.
“I really want to win that state title,” Cheli said.
Many can recall that Cheli helped Archbishop Mitty to the state championship game for her junior year this past season. But, the Monarchs lost to Etiwanda on a buzzer-beater, 69-67. Cheli led with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals in the state title game – even though she rolled her ankle during the game.
“I rolled my ankle at the state game but adrenaline was running high so I had our trainer tape me up to get back on the court,” Cheli said. “Next year, I want to win that state championship.”
Cheli actually missed much of this past regular season because she sprained her left foot back in December. Still, in 14 games, she averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and three steals. Notably, as a sophomore, Cheli averaged 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.3 steals.
Regardless of her junior-year injuries, Cheli has more recently increased in her rankings. After her sophomore year, she was ranked as the No. 28 player in the Class of 2024 by ESPN. Now, she’s jumped more than 10 spots to become the No. 17 player in the nation.
“I’m very pleased with the upward trend, but I will continue to work on my game to improve my skills and help my team win,” Cheli said. “Definitely not satisfied yet.”
Aside from seeking a state title, Cheli is already a world champion. She got the opportunity to represent Team USA this past summer with the U17 national team. She helped the team to gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Hungary after averaging 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and three steals across seven games.
🇺🇸 #USABWU17 ON TOP OF THE WORLD 🏆
The USA Women bring home a fifth #FIBAU17 World Cup gold medal! 🥇 #GoldHabits pic.twitter.com/6BKx7cK42j
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 17, 2022
“My favorite basketball memory is when we won the gold medal for Team USA last summer,” Cheli said. “It was definitely a surreal moment wearing a USA jersey, representing my country and having a gold medal placed around my neck.”
Cheli primarily plays point guard, but she can also play shooting guard & wing.
“I think my versatility is my greatest asset,” Cheli said. “In high school and for my AAU team, I play point guard and I like the ball in my hands, but I am happy anywhere from 1-4.”
Overall, Cheli noted that she’s excited to join the No. 6 recruit in her class, Allie Ziebell, who she got the chance to meet at the trials last May. She hopes to win national championships at UConn before she plays in the WNBA one day – all of which she couldn’t have dreamed about without her “loud Italian family” and her head coach, Sue Phillips.
“I am the youngest of three siblings and I was always out in the front yard with my brother and sister begging them to let me play with them and their friends,” Cheli said. “We would draw chalk mark lines for the three and for the free-throw lines. I wanted to beat my siblings. As I entered high school, coach Phillips had a vision for me and she did not let the pandemic derail my aspirations or anyone else on our team. I really appreciate everything she has done for me.”
