04/02/26 03:04:00
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04/02 15:02 CDT UConn star sophomore Sarah Strong named the AP Player of the
Year in women's college basketball
UConn star sophomore Sarah Strong named the AP Player of the Year in women's
college basketball
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
PHOENIX (AP) --- Sarah Strong of UConn was named The Associated Press women's
basketball Player of the Year on Thursday after leading the Huskies to an
undefeated season, setting the stage for a run to the Final Four.
Strong became just the fifth player to win the award in her sophomore year,
joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris (2007), UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and
Breanna Stewart (2014), and USC's JuJu Watkins, who won it last year. The AP
started giving out the award in 1995.
It's the 13th time that a Huskies player has won the award with Paige Bueckers
being the last to do it before Strong in 2021.
Strong received 25 votes from a national media panel that votes for the Top 25
each week. Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes garnered four votes and UCLA's Lauren
Betts got the other two. Voting was completed before the NCAA Tournament began.
"Anybody that's watched us play would probably tell you that she's the heart
and soul of our team," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "She elevates the play
of everyone on our team."
He called Strong "the most low-key superstar you ever saw."
"You don't see that look in her eyes, you know, like, oh, my God, there's
always just, a calmness," he said. "That's the best way I can describe it. That
allows her to just be free and fluid and play without worry. "
Auriemma has coached some of the greatest in the game including Breanna
Stewart, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi. Strong fits in with them.
"The great ones, the great ones all had it. I never saw (Taurasi) nervous," he
said. ?You know that they came in as freshmen and you can tell by the look in
their eyes, 'I can handle this. This is what I think. This is why I came here.'
You know some may pretend, but you know deep down you're not ready for that
moment. She's ready for that one."
Strong is averaging 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks a game
while helping UConn go 38-0. She's shooting 59.4% from the field, 40.4% from 3
and 84.8% from the the foul line while playing just 27 minutes a game.
The sensational sophomore raised her game when the Huskies faced Top 25
opponents, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. She reached 1,000
career points in her 59th career game, the third-fastest player in school
history to reach the milestone.
Strong was the Big East Player of the Year as well as the Most Outstanding
Player of the Fort Worth Regional.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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