UConn star sophomore Sarah Strong named the AP Player of the Year in women’s college basketball
PHOENIX — 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. Vanderbilt’s Shea Ralph, who was a former UConn player and assistant coach, won the AP Coach of the Year award. They both accepted the awards in front of a full room that included the entire UConn team, which gave a standing ovation when both winners were announced.
“I’m so blessed because I totally got to this point in my life because of my teammates,” Strong said. 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 has 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.