2021 prospect Caroline Ducharme commits to UConn women’s basketball

UConn women’s basketball bolstered its 2021 recruiting class on Thursday night, landing a commitment from Caroline Ducharme, according to the Boston Globe’s Greg Levinsky.

A 6-foot-2 guard/wing out of Milton, Massachusetts, Ducharme was named the state’s Girls’ Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year on Thursday night as well after averaging 24.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this past season at the Noble and Greenough School. She’s rated as the No. 41 player and the No. 15 guard in ESPN’s 2021 rankings.

Ducharme attended the Huskies’ First Night festivities back in 2018 along with the Notre Dame and Oregon games at Gampel Pavilion this past season. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma also watched her play back on Feb. 8 in Rhode Island.

Injuries plagued Ducharme through her first two years of high school as a torn ACL in April 2017 knocked her out for part of her freshmen campaign while a torn shoulder labrum in July 2018 forced her to miss her entire sophomore season. Finally healthy, Ducharme broke out as a junior this past year.

ESPN’s scouting report describes her as an off-ball guard with a strong offensive game and a particularly dangerous 3-point shot. The Boston Globe had similarly high praise:

“Ducharme plays the point, but is a tremendous cutter without the ball. Her court vision is advanced, as is her defensive aptitude. She was the tallest player on the court against BB&N, but is by no means a post player.”

On the AAU circuit, Ducharme plays for New York City Exodus in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League, regarded as the top competition for up and coming prospects. According to the Globe, she took unofficial visits to Stanford, Tennessee, Oregon, Oregon State, North Carolina, Maryland, and Michigan along with UConn.

Ducharme is the third 2021 commit for the Huskies, joining center Amari DeBerry (the No. 5 player in the class) and guard Saylor Poffenbarger (No. 17). She’ll join a crowded backcourt that is projected to feature seniors Christyn Williams, Evina Westbrook, junior Anna Makurat, sophomores Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl and classmate Poffenbarger in 2021-22.

For the first time in a long time, UConn is coming up on the scholarship limit for that season. The Huskies will have 13 players when the year begins assuming Evina Westbrook doesn’t leave early for the WNBA and nobody transfers out, which leaves two spots open. While Auriemma typically doesn’t like to keep a large roster, No. 1 prospect Azzi Fudd will certainly remain a target for UConn. Besides her, it’s hard to imagine the Huskies adding anyone else to the class of 2021.

Here’s a look at the Huskies’ scholarship situation: