UConn women’s basketball dominates Big East awards led by double-winner Sarah Strong

After completing a third straight undefeated season in conference play, the UConn women’s basketball team dominated the Big East Conference postseason awards announced on Thursday.

Sophomore superstar Sarah Strong was the headliner, becoming one of 11 underclassmen to be named Big East Player of the Year since the award was established in 1982-83. Strong, the unanimous choice by the league’s coaches, currently leads No. 1 UConn in every major statistical category except for assists, averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks. She is also on the verge of historic efficiency, shooting 59.5% from the field, 40.7% from 3-point range and 88.1% at the free throw line.

Strong is the 13th Husky named player of the year, extending UConn’s streak of winning the award to three years after Paige Bueckers earned the honor in 2024 and ’25. She joins an elite class of program greats including Maya Moore (2008, ’09, ’11), Tina Charles (2010), Diana Taurasi (2003, ’04), Sue Bird (2002), Shea Ralph (2000), Svetlana Abrosimova (1999), Nykesha Sales (1998), Kara Wolters (1997), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996), Rebecca Lobo (1994, ’95) and Kerry Bascom (1989, ’90, ’91).

Strong was also named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, joining Sales in 1997-98 and Notre Dame’s Ruth Riley in 2000-01 as the only players ever to receive both awards in the same season. The sophomore forward is first in the Big East in steals and second in blocks, and she also leads the country in defensive rating, win shares and box plus/minus. She anchors UConn’s scoring defense, which is No. 1 in the conference and nationally.

Strong is the Huskies’s sixth defensive player of the year all time and first since Nika Muhl in 2023.

Freshman forward Blanca Quinonez also brought home a pair of postseason awards, earning Big East Freshman of the Year and Sixth Woman of the Year. Quinonez is UConn’s third-leading scorer averaging 10 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and two steals in 19.7 minutes coming off the bench. She is the third straight Husky to win freshman of the year, following Strong in 2025 and Ashlynn Shade in 2024. She is the second player in Big East history to win both freshman and sixth woman of the year in the same season, joining UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis in 2011.

Quinonez was named to the All-Big East second team, while Strong was joined on the first team by redshirt senior guard Azzi Fudd and junior guard KK Arnold. Shade was also selected to the honor roll.

Fudd was a unanimous first-team selection amid the best season of her college career. She is averaging 17.9 points, three assists and 2.5 steals, all of which are career highs, while shooting 49% from the field, 45.1% from 3-point range and 95% at the free throw line. Fudd is second in the country in made 3-pointers with 96 and ninth in 3-point percentage, and her percentage is the highest of any player with at least 80 makes from the perimeter. On top of her offensive production, Fudd ranks fourth nationally in defensive win shares and 10th in defensive rating.

This is Arnold’s first selection to the All-Big East first team, and she also earned her first nod on the All-Defensive team alongside Strong. Arnold averaged 6.9 points plus a career-high 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals during the regular season, also shooting a career-best 52.8% from the field. She ranks fifth nationally in defensive rating and third in defensive box plus/minus.

Capping the Huskies’ honors was coach Geno Auriemma, who was named Big East Coach of the Year for the third straight season and the 14th time in his legendary career. Auriemma has led UConn to six consecutive Big East regular-season titles since the program rejoined the conference in 2019-20, and the team is an overwhelming favorite to add another Big East Tournament title to its collection this weekend. UConn is in the midst of a 67-game winning streak against conference opponents and finished its first undefeated regular season since 2018 with a win over St. John’s on Sunday.

The Huskies begin the 2026 Big East Tournament on Saturday in the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of Friday’s first-round game between 8-seed Georgetown and 9-seed Butler. UConn has won its conference tournament 12 straight seasons including its seven-year stint in the American Athletic from 2013-20.

Big East women’s postseason awards

Player of the Year: Sarah Strong, UConn

Freshman: Blanca Quiñonez, UConn

Defensive: Strong

Most improved: Brynn McCurry, Villanova

Sportsmanship Award: Meg Newman, DePaul

Sixth woman: Quiñonez

Coach: Geno Auriemma, UConn

Scholar-Athlete: Azzi Fudd, UConn

First team

KK Arnold, UConn, Jr., G

Azzi Fudd, UConn, Gr., G

Sarah Strong, UConn, So., F

Ava Zediker, Creighton, Fr., G

Skylar Forbes, Marquette, Jr., F

Halle Vice, Marquette, Jr., G

Sabou Gueye, Providence, Gr., G

Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, Jr., G

Mariana Valenzuela, Seton Hall, Sr., F

Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova, So., G

Second team: Blanca Quiñonez, UConn, Fr., F; Kate Novik, DePaul, Jr., G; Lee Volker, Marquette, Gr., G; Brooke Moore, St. John’s, Jr., G; Brynn McCurry, Villanova, Jr., F; Mariyah Noel, Xavier, Jr., G

Honorable mention: Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Jr., G; Grace Boffeli, Creighton, Gr., F; Sa’Mya Wyatt, St. John’s, So., F

Defensive team: Arnold, UConn; Strong, UConn; Forbes, Marquette; Catalon, Seton Hall; Kennedy Henry, Villanova, Fr., G

Freshman team: Quiñonez, UConn; Zediker, Creighton; Henry, Villanova; Neleigh Gessert, Creighton; Zahara Bishop, Seton Hall

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