Away from the States, across the Atlantic Ocean and in the mystic land of Egypt, a three-year-old girl held a basketball for the first time. Little did she know that a ‘destiny’ would only put her in the top-tier basketball leagues. But her love for the sport and her desire to be part of her father’s passion landed her in the USA’s top women’s basketball program. Yes, we are talking about UConn and Jana El Alfy.
From the age of 14, El Alfy found herself summoned to the hallowed grounds of the NBA junior academy. This move proved to be a big decision for Jana’s career as she was now in the eyes of the top recruiters. “It’s a pivotal moment for me; my dream is to grace the WNBA,” she mentioned while gaining more exposure and a chance to showcase her abilities. And now, Jana’s journey is more than just a slam dunk—it’s a saga of hard work, grit, and dreams as big as the court itself.
She began playing for organized teams early with her dad— who is the Egyptian women’s national team head coach — took her with him to the teams he coached. Eventually, she played against her father’s team, ending in a defeat. “I’m really competitive,” she said. “I like to compete in everything.”
Later, El Alfy played in the FIBA U18 African Championship for Egypt. Her versatility and skills were on full display as she finished the competition, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. In 2021, El Alfy led her country to gold at the U17 African Championship. She was in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program and was first pick by Warriors HC Steve Kerr. Winning the MVP award, Jana proved herself on the big stage, too.
Growing up in Egypt, Jana El Alfy didn’t have much exposure to the NCAA Tournament. It’s not that she didn’t want to watch — she usually couldn’t. “It wasn’t easily accessible back home to watch the games in Egypt,” she explained. “It wasn’t very known and accessible.”
So how did UConn find the gem? UConn HC Geno Auriemma explained that Jana’s performances in the international games impressed him the most.
“You go to all these world championships to see this team play, or that team, and you come out of there every once in a while and you go, ‘wow,’” Auriemma said. “And usually those kids, you follow up and they’re pros, they sign with somebody and that’s it. Every once in a while you end up with somebody like Jana. A kid who wants to go to America, wants to go to school and be a part of all this and is a terrific student.”
“I can’t wait for this moment, I’ve worked so hard to be here at UConn. That was a dream of mine.”
– Jana El Alfy on her goal of making her debut with UConn this year pic.twitter.com/wzb4NTTuzT
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) June 14, 2024
Well, influenced by Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, UConn was a straightforward choice for Jana. El Alfy’s parents both have college degrees in Egypt. It was natural that they wanted the same for Jana. Since she expressed her desire to play and study, they were fully onboard with her dream. The family met with Auriemma on a Zoom call, then came to campus for a visit before Jana put pen to paper.
Check out how the move to UConn and her career so far helped her land NIL deals and affected her net worth.
What are Jana El Alfy’s NIL deals as of 2025?
Playing in her first full season with the UConn Huskies, Jana El Alfy is yet to sign any major NIL (name, image and likeness) deal. But with a fast-growing following on Instagram, Jana has begun to build her personal brand. She currently has 31.5k on Instagram, 960 on X, and 36.3K followers on TikTok.
Which high school did Jana El Alfy attend?
Jana El Alfy attended high school at Al Ahly Sporting Club. However, no records on her performance are available publically. It was when she was playing for her national team that Geno Auriemma discovered her. She averaged 20.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 26 FIBA games she played for Egypt until 2023.
“She wants to be a trailblazer,” Auriemma said. “She wants to be that person from that part of the world who has never played at this level or go to the WNBA and help Egypt become a basketball country. Not that it isn’t, but it certainly doesn’t have that reputation around the world. Be a trailblazer, she really talks about that a lot.”
What is Jana El Alfy’s net worth and salary?
Jana El Alfy is a UConn Huskies star player and yet to sign a professional deal with any franchise. As per NCAA regulations, Jana does not draw any salary, while her NIL deals are her primary source of income. As of 2025, there are no details of Jana El Alfy’s net worth. But her impactful plays and versatility could land her a decent draft pick, handing her a massive boost commercially.
The post Jana El Alfy Net Worth, NIL Value, and High School Stats: Exploring UConn Star’s Earnings and Early Life appeared first on EssentiallySports.