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UConn guard KK Arnold aims to expand role in second season
After an impact freshman season, Arnold is a standout in the Huskies’ locker room and on social media
Welcome to “On the Break” — During the WNBA’s Olympic break, Andscape will publish a weekly Q&A with some of the biggest names in women’s college basketball.
UConn guard KK Arnold’s freshman season was all about learning on the job.
What began as an expectation to fight for minutes and steadily contribute to a title-contending Huskies team quickly escalated into Arnold’s first start coming just five games into the season after multiple injuries depleted the UConn backcourt.
By season’s end, Arnold was the starting point guard for the Huskies in the Final Four, her 33rd start of the year. She had 14 points, 5 steals and 5 assists in a nail-biting 71-69 loss to Iowa in the NCAA tournament.
After a freshman season in which she had been unexpectedly thrown into the fire, Arnold, who averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals for the Huskies, proved to herself that she was more than capable of succeeding at the collegiate level. Now, as Arnold preps for her sophomore season, the Germantown, Wisconsin, native is ready to elevate her role on the team both through her on-court performance and the growth of her voice within the locker room.
Arnold spoke to Andscape about her accelerated freshman season, her experience participating in Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum’s Dawg Class, how she’s developed a fan base on TikTok, and the UConn team’s growing obsession with Legos.
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Now that you’re a few months removed, how do you reflect on your freshman season at UConn?
It was definitely a great year overall in terms of just a learning experience. Our freshman class kind of got pushed into a role that we weren’t expecting at all and all the [injuries] that happened in the beginning of the season later just pushed us into a position that we weren’t expecting. So just having to adjust and learn from our upperclassmen and having upperclassmen like Paige Bueckers, Nika Muhl, Aaliyah Edwards – and the off-court leaders as well like Aubrey Griffin and Azzi Fudd – it kind of just helped us get more comfortable and acclimated. I feel like from that point on the season just kind of slowly, with each game that I played, each progressed and just showed myself and what I can do on the court at the college level.
Like you mentioned, you were thrown into the fire as a freshman. What kind of mental adjustment did you need to make when you were tasked with a larger role than you had foreseen?
Just take it one game at a time, one step at a time, but also just don’t get too hard on myself. That was one big thing, I would say. After a bad game, I could get rough on myself but I kind of had to throw that out the window after every game approached because we couldn’t have those moments when we were low on players as well. We couldn’t have those breakdown moments where I was just feeling bad about myself and how I played. I just had to keep the energy up, keep being a light for our team during those moments. Of course, we made it all the way to the Final Four and kind of our goal. That was the mentality I needed to have. Each and every game won’t be pretty, but it’s what I take from that game and what I can do outside of when I’m struggling during a game.
Did you seek advice from anyone on the team or outside of the team to aid you in that transition?
All the coaches kind of took a big deal, had a big hand in it. Talking to coach [Geno Auriemma] and just things that maybe he sees I have to work on and him just being a support. Of course there’s going to be bad games, but it’s about how you impact other parts of the game and just having assistant coaches and everyone hyping you up and just being a comfort spot for you. Having them to talk to on the side was a calming point and a [sense of] comfortability for me.
At what point in your freshman season did you feel settled into your role?
I want to say the Creighton game where we played at Creighton. I kind of displayed my ability to shoot the ball, attacking the rim, defensive end. From that game on, I feel like I just got into a more comfortable feeling on the court with everybody else and found my role, adding defensive pressure, creating energy from the defensive end, creating for our offense.
How will your freshman experience benefit you in your preparation for your sophomore season?
It just kinda gives me a step stool of where to begin in terms of what I need to improve on from the past year, the things that will separate myself and our team, the things that we need to do, and a leadership role in terms of myself as well. I think one thing I was looking for the past season was finding a voice and leadership style. Now not having Nika [Muhl] here this year, just finding my own way in terms of how can I get this group going.
That’s a tough leap to make, has that been difficult?
With Paige being here for one more year, she kind of helps with that, just asking her questions. All of the upperclassmen as well, Azzi and them, they’ve all been in the same kind of shoes that I’m in now. Then asking my coaches in terms of what do they think. How can I be in an impactful role? Like I said, I’m a very joyful person, a very goofy person, so just kind of having that side of me as well will make me feel more comfortable.
Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
What would your outlook be from today about what you can accomplish next season?
We take it one game at a time … Of course we all have high hopes for our team. We all know we have great players alongside us and a great team chemistry so far hanging around each other.
With the summer comes the WNBA season. Who are some of your favorite players in the W right now?
I love watching all the alums from UConn, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart. One person that I’ve been watching is Jewell Loyd because of her point guard skills and everything that she does. Another person is Kelsey Plum. Watching her navigate and her finishing ability and her being the height that she is, it’s kind of like a reflection of who I am in terms of knowing where I need to be at the next level and also these next three years of what can I work on and kind of implement those different styles of play in my game.
Speaking of Kelsey Plum, you were a part of her Dawg Class camp in April – how was that experience?
It was a great experience. She teaches more than basketball at that camp. She also teaches the mental part and how if she goes through a rough patch, how she deals with things, how she talks to all types of different people. She just kind of showed us her support system and what you need on that next level. She was honestly just like a big sister on that side, just kind of giving us a walk-through of her journey and what she went through and how we can accomplish the same things but also like what we need to get to that level. That camp really just showed me what I’m capable of but also gave me the opportunity just to play alongside and learn from players that I don’t get the chance to. We’re always battling against each other. Having cheerful, joyful moments each and every day at that camp was pretty cool.
Like you’ve mentioned, you bring an energy and lightness to the UConn locker room. Has that always been a part of your personality?
Yeah, that’s always been part of me growing up, through AAU, high school, everything. I remember being like that when I was younger as well. My family can vouch for me on that part. I had to bring that same personality when I got to [UConn] – being that bright person, goofy person, off the court to kind of chill and calm people down and just make them laugh.
You have a huge social media presence, particularly TikTok where you have over 430,000 followers. How have you used that platform to build and connect with your fan base?
Just showing fans that there is another side to me besides basketball. We all know that, we all see the goofy side of me and I show that a lot on the mic’d ups that get posted on our women’s basketball page. Just having a balance of being myself off the court and what I like to do. I really enjoy bringing joy and doing dances and all types of stuff. I can communicate with fans if I can’t communicate with them after a game. It gives a good outlet where they can reach out, talk, different vibes and stuff like that.
What was your follower count on TikTok at the beginning of your freshman year?
I would say, maybe, 15,000? Somewhere around there. As each day went by and a video I posted just kept rising up and up.
Is that wild to you?
That was crazy. I was just talking about it with my family, how much it’s grown. You don’t even realize it until you really look at it. Having that amount of support behind you, seeing that people enjoy the content that I post and everything – it’s a great thing to see.
Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
One aspect of your social presence that fans have gravitated to are the phrases that you’ve popularized on your account. Can you break some of them down for me? You can give a definition, then how you would use it.
All right.
First one, ‘OK, so boom.’
OK, so literally, that’s what it’s for. If I’m starting a conversation or like a story, I’lll be like ‘ok so boom so now we finna do,’ or just to start off a phrase or something.
‘Girly pop.’
Girly pop is just like addressing somebody. I would say like, “hey, girly pop,” “hey, girlie” that’s what I use that for.
‘Girl, boo.’
Ok, so girl boo is like if something is, like, ridiculous or if somebody is making a joke about me or something like that or something is just sideways, I’ll be like ‘girl, boo,’ like brushing off, basically saying no, like, bye.
Is it crazy to have fans using these phrases that they likely learned from you?
It was crazy to me. Honestly, I didn’t really get the full grasp of it until they all started commenting on every one of my videos like girlypop, girl boo and everything. I was like, oh, it’s actually like a movement now. It’s so crazy.
Have you gotten Coach Auriemma to say girl boo?
No. We’re still working on that piece. That’ll be later on.
Favorite teammate to make a TikTok with?
Paige, Ice Brady, Aubrey. We try to get everybody in there. I think this group, this year, you’ll see any and everybody in a TikTok.
You’ve done a lot of man on the street-style interviews for the UConn team account, you’re a natural in front of the camera. Is that something you’d want to pursue outside of basketball, a host of sorts?
Yeah, I kind of like it, like a media role, I feel like it’s like my personality and something that I would carry over after school.
What’s taken up your free time this offseason?
A few of us, Paige, Jana El-Alfy, me, Ayanna Patterson — we’ve been really into Legos. Right now, I’m doing a project that’s like a Disney anniversary build. We’ve gotten into Legos when we have down time. It’s just kind of something that we’ve picked up.
Yesterday we were at the store and we saw this big Camaro truck. It was huge. I was, like, it’s going to take a lot of time, but that’s on my bucket list right now. Get that Camaro.
Honestly I think it’s becoming a movement. I kind of picked up on it from Jana and Paige but also I’ve seen a couple of NBA players, they have their own collection. So I was like, ‘all right, maybe I should start my own thing.’