Charli Collier, a 6-foot-5 center and the No. 7 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60 for the 2018 class, has verbally committed to Connecticut.
"After an overwhelming amount of interest from great programs across the country, I narrowed my choices down to Texas [and] Southern California before deciding on Connecticut," the junior at Barbers Hill (Mont Belvieu, Texas) said. "Coach [Geno] Auriemma and his staff are amazing people. Spending time with them and the team, seeing the chemistry that is there indicated to me that this was it.
"Coach Auriemma gave me goals before each game I played and then would check back with me to see if I met those goals. No other coach did that. He told me he could make me a better player. He is a special coach."
Special coach meets special player.
With superior size and off-the-charts agility, Collier has the ability to consistently finish plays in the block or stretch the defender to the arc. Collier, who was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the nation as a sophomore, seems to be on a mission to regain that spot, dominating opponents early this season. Last year as a sophomore, Collier started in all 35 games and averaged 24.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
She won a bronze medal during the summer with Team USA at the FIBA U17 world championships in Zaragoza, Spain, averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Collier, who had reopened her recruitment after committing to Texas in eighth grade, intends to major in broadcast journalism in Storrs.
This is the first commitment in the class of 2018 for the Huskies, who are on a 79-game winning streak and play Tennessee-Chattanooga on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Connecticut celebrated the No. 2 2017 class in the country after getting signatures from No. 1 Megan Walker, No. 14 Mikayla Coombs, No. 29 Lexi Gordon and No. 37 Andra Espinoza-Hunter.
In addition to her immense talent, Collier will take a promise to Storrs, one she made to herself after the death of her dad, Elliott Don Collier, who passed away in April after a battle with cancer.
"I feel I owe it to him to be successful and be legendary in this life," Collier said this spring. "He has inspired me and impacted me so much."