Paige Bueckers Leads UConn Dominance of Big East Award Honors

The UConn Huskies squad stole the show for the Big East end-of-season awards.

Mar 2, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after being inducted into the Huskies Women of Honor during senior night after the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team's sustained dominance during Geno Auriemma's 40-season tenure is nothing short of incredible.

Over those four decades, Auriemma has won 11 NCAA National Championships and coached dozens of the world's best female players, many of whom have become WNBA legends after leaving campus.

It remains to be seen whether his current team will produce his first NCAA National title since 2016, or whether any of his players will blossom into an all-time WNBA great. But what's for sure is that several of his players cemented themselves in the Big East record books this year, as the conference's end-of-season awards were announced on Thursday.

Star guard Paige Bueckers won Big East Player of the Year. This is her third time winning this prestigious award (with the other wins coming in 2019 and 2024), making her the third person in conference history (along with the legendary Maya Moore) to be a three-time winner.

Freshman Sarah Strong won Freshman of the Year while Ashlynn Shade won 6th Player of the Year. Auriemma also won Big East Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his UConn career; however, he's a Co-Coach this season, sharing the honor with Marquette's Cara Consuegra.

UConn women's basketball sweeps the top Big East awards

Paige Bueckers - Player of the Year
Sarah Strong - Freshman of the Year
Ashlynn Shade - 6th Player of the Year
Geno Auriemma - Co-Coach of the Year

More:https://t.co/ko3gtZ1gGg

— Maggie Vanoni (@maggie_vanoni) March 6, 2025

Bueckers, Strong, and Azzi Fudd were also all named to the All-Big East first team.

The only two end-of-season awards not given to UConn players were Defensive Player of the Year (which went to St. John’s guard Lashae Dwyer) and Most Improved Player (which was given to DePaul forward Jorie Allen.)

With these awards now in the record books, UConn will turn their attention to another Big East Conference Tournament Championship and then to the NCAA Tournament.