UConn's Juhász; The Perfect Match

Dorka Juhász attempts a run towards the hoop past Creighton's Carly Bachelor (22) on Jan. 9th. Credit: Stephen Slade

Powerful, strong, determined. Three words Dorka Juhász can be described as. While this may be her first season as a UConn Husky, Juhász has the ability to make a substantial impact on their program. The 6’5 graduate student hails from Pecs, Hungary, and spent her undergraduate career as a power forward at Ohio State. Becoming a start early in her career at UConn, Dorka has proven what it takes to make a lasting impression.

Juhász was ranked the No. 12 international player in the class of 2018. She made her commitment to Ohio State to become a Buckeye during high school. In her debut season with the Buckeyes, Juhász started in 25 of 27 games that year. She made a defensive effort as the sixth overall rebounder in the Big Ten. Primarily with a defensive presence, Juhász grabbed a total of 242 rebounds that season. She was fourth in the Big Ten conference with double-doubles. She had a total of 317 points, 33 steals, 22 assists, and scored 18 three-pointers in the 2018-2019 season.

Dorka Juhász (14) is defended by future teammate Olivia Nelson-Ododa in 2019. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

In her second season with Ohio State, Juhász started all 31 games for the Buckeyes. She continued to have a tremendous impact on the Ohio State program. Juhász led the team in scoring and rebounding for the second year in a row, averaging 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game (UConn Athletics). To add to her outstanding resume, Juhász had ten double-doubles and was fourth in the Big Ten. She earned 417 points, 292 total rebounds, 38 blocks and steals, and added 33 assists. She was named to the 2020 Big Ten All-Tournament Team at the end of her sophomore season.

The Buckeyes played the Huskies on November 24, 2019, in a non-conference matchup. UConn came out on top, winning 73-62 on Ohio’s home court. Juhász started for the Buckeyes and scored a mere 8 points. She did have 11 rebounds, an assist, and a few blocks. Did Dorka ever ponder that she was playing against future teammates Christyn Williams, Aubrey Griffin, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa?

In her third and final season at Ohio State, the team’s season was shortened due to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. She started in all 17 games for the Buckeyes scoring 248 points, had 188 rebounds, 17 blocks and steals. She had twelve double-doubles. She earned her second First Team All-Big Ten honor. Around the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Juhász entered the transfer portal. On April 12th, UConn announced the addition of Juhász for the 2021-2022 season. As a transfer and graduate student, Juhász was awarded two more years of eligibility.

If you did not know who Dorka Juhász was at the start of the UConn season, you must know her now! The dedication Juhász has shown to this team in a short period of time proves she will be a Husky for life. Her ability to obtain rebounds both offensively and defensively proves how amazing she is. So far this season, Juhász has grabbed a total of 58 rebounds. Her career-high for rebounds was on December 11th against UCLA when she totaled 16.

The 2021-2022 season saw a large number of students transfer to new schools. Many players left to continue their education to earn graduate degrees while others opted for an extra year of eligibility with the Covid rules. While many players chose to continue at their same schools for continuing their education, there were some players like Dorka who decided to transfer. On ESPN’s “Women's College Basketball Transfer Rankings,” Juhász is currently ranked twelfth. On that list, Louisville’s Emily Engstler and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, previously Syracuse players have also had impacts on their new teams.

Dorka Juhász (14) posing with Coach Geno Auriemma with 1000th point ball on January 9th. Credit: Stephen Slade 

What can one expect to see Dorka Juhász doing while watching a UConn game? Creating play opportunities for her teammates and drawing her defenders to cause fouls. Juhász can hit a three-pointer every so often, but she is stronger in the paint. She not only scores off of her own offensive rebounds, but she can also assist on critical plays for the Huskies.

Juhász left Ohio State just shy of reaching her 1000th career point, ending with her career there with 975. During the Huskies game versus UCLA, Juhász reached the milestone when she scored her career-high 16 points. She is a versatile shooter, an important role to have on the limited Husky bench. UConn fans are lucky to be able to see her play for two seasons.