UConn's Sarah Strong Named Finalist for Rare Program Honor
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This season, the UConn Huskies are making collecting honors a habit. In their last game, the Huskies faced Villanova Wildcats and won 90–51, securing their 24th Big East Tournament championship. Now, as the Huskies turn their attention to postseason play, a Husky has been named a finalist for a rare honor.
UConn forward Sarah Strong has been named one of five finalists for the 2026 Katrina McClain Award, an honor recognizing the nation’s top power forward in women’s college basketball. For a program that has produced legends, this award comes with a rare twist.
Only one Husky has won this award before, Napheesa Collier in 2019. Strong is joined by Toby Fournier (Duke), Khamil Pierre (NC State), Maggie Doogan (Richmond), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina) on the list of finalists.
Strong, no doubt, has had a brilliant season. Her last game was the conference title game, where she scored 18 points. And that is just one of many great games. The sophomore has averaged 18.5 points per game while shooting an efficient 60.1% from the field, 42.7% from three, and 87.3% at the free-throw line.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Five Finalists for the 2026 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award. 🏆 #HoophallU | #McClainAward pic.twitter.com/wRMvl7DI8Q
— University of Hoophall (@hoophallu) March 12, 2026
Strong’s impact goes beyond scoring. She leads UConn in points, rebounds, blocks and steals, and has scored in 47 straight games. In fact, her defensive instincts have been just as good as her scoring, with Strong becoming the first Husky since Gabby Williams in 2016-17 to record 100 steals in a season.
Strong also ranks nationally sixth in steals with 111, sits 10th in field goal percentage, and is among the leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. She has been named the unanimous Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning First Team All-Big East and All-Defensive Team honors.
Next up, Huskies Head To March Madness
While individual honors continue to pile up, the Huskies’ biggest challenge still lies ahead. UConn’s Big East title win secured the program’s 37th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
With a perfect 34–0 record, the Huskies are expected to land as a top seed when the bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday. The Huskies usually do well when the selection committee places them at the top of the bracket.
UConn has won 10 national championships as a No. 1 seed in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. The Huskies have even proven capable of winning it all without that advantage, capturing titles as a No. 2 seed in 2004 and again in 2025.
Last season, on their way to the national title, the Huskies eliminated three No. 1 seeds, including a decisive 85–51 victory over UCLA in the Final Four. Now undefeated and riding a 50-game winning streak, UConn heads into March Madness. And if the Huskies continue their current form, they just might have a deep run.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.