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UConn's Sarah Strong named Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year
Blanca Quiñonez, Azzi Fudd, and Geno Auriemma also earn major Big East awards
Published on Mar. 6, 2026
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For the second time since returning to the Big East, the UConn women's basketball team has won five of the league's seven major postseason awards. Sophomore forward Sarah Strong was named the unanimous Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while Blanca Quiñonez was named Freshman of the Year and Sixth Woman of the Year. Graduate guard Azzi Fudd was named the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and head coach Geno Auriemma was named Coach of the Year.
Why it matters
UConn's dominance in the Big East awards highlights the program's continued excellence and the development of its young talent. The Huskies' success in the conference tournament will be crucial as they look to make another deep NCAA Tournament run.
The details
Strong, Fudd, and junior point guard KK Arnold were named to the All-Big East first team, with Strong and Fudd being unanimous selections. Quiñonez was named to the All-Big East second team and was a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team. Junior guard Ashlynn Shade was named to the honor roll, while both Arnold and Strong were named to the Big East's All-Defensive Team.
- On Thursday, the Big East Conference announced the postseason awards.
- On Wednesday, Azzi Fudd was named the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The players
Sarah Strong
A sophomore forward for the UConn women's basketball team, she was the unanimous Player of the Year and also named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Blanca Quiñonez
A freshman forward for the UConn women's basketball team, she was named the Freshman of the Year and the Sixth Woman of the Year.
Azzi Fudd
A graduate guard for the UConn women's basketball team, she was named the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Geno Auriemma
The head coach of the UConn women's basketball team, he was named the Big East Coach of the Year.
KK Arnold
A junior point guard for the UConn women's basketball team, she was named to the All-Big East first team.
What’s next
The Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament for the sixth-straight season. UConn begins the postseason on Saturday in the conference tournament quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The takeaway
UConn's dominance in the Big East awards demonstrates the program's continued excellence and the development of its young talent. The Huskies' success in the conference tournament will be crucial as they look to make another deep NCAA Tournament run.
