UConn's Sarah Strong Earns Major Individual Recognition
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The UConn Huskies women's basketball team has been the story of the 2025-26 college season, going 34-0 heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies have had no shortage of stars, but one of them just picked up the biggest individual award in the sport.
The UConn Women's Basketball official X account announced that Strong had been named ESPN's National Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
THE Sarah Strong 💪
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 12, 2026
She's ESPN's National Player of the Year! pic.twitter.com/trnYR5Cmuf
Strong put up 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game this season, shooting 60.1% from the field and 42.7% from three. Those numbers came in just 26.4 minutes per game, as she routinely sat out fourth quarters with games already decided.
She also took home Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, leading the Huskies in points, rebounds, blocks and steals across the board. The award did not come without debate, though.
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes put up eye-catching numbers all season and made it a real conversation. She averaged 30.5 points per game in SEC play and pushed Strong for the honor, but her impact on both ends of the floor is what tipped the scales.
Sarah Strong 2025-26 Season Stats and What Makes Her Special
Strong is not just an elite scorer. She finished the season with a Player Efficiency Rating of 45.6, the best in the country, and her true shooting percentage ranked in the 99th percentile nationally. For a player averaging under 27 minutes a game, that kind of production is difficult to argue against.
Geno Auriemma has been direct about it all season.
"She’s a playmaker, and we’re going to put the ball in our best playmaker’s hands..... But without her [Paige Bueckers], Sarah’s got to have it more often, and she’s the one making great things happen." he said.
That is exactly how UConn has played, and it is a big reason the Huskies have not lost a game all year.
She also arrived at UConn with a championship pedigree already in place. As a freshman, Strong was the first player in history to post 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a national title game, helping the Huskies beat South Carolina in April 2025. The sophomore leap she has taken since then is what earned her this award.
UConn enters the NCAA Tournament, where they will look to defend its national title, and Strong will be the biggest reason if it does.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.