UConn women’s basketball star Sarah Strong is living up to her billing as the preseason Big East Player of the Year early in 2025-26, earning her second consecutive Player of the Week honor from the conference on Monday.
Strong led UConn to a 2-0 record last week averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, 5.5 assists, 4.5 steals and three blocks per game. She played just 20 minutes in the Huskies’ 85-31 rout of Loyola Chicago on Wednesday, then had one of the best performances of her young career on Sunday against Ohio State. In the 100-68 victory, Strong tied her career high in points with 29 and set a career high in assists with seven on top of 13 rebounds, five steals and three blocks. She led UConn in all five categories, and she was also remarkably efficient shooting 70.6% from the field and 50% on 3-pointers without a single turnover.
This is Strong’s fifth career Player of the Week after earning the recognition three times as a freshman last season.
Huskies freshman Blanca Quinonez earned her first Big East Freshman of the Week honor after making her collegiate debut last Wednesday. She averaged 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, two assists and two steals across UConn’s pair of wins, headlined by a standout performance against Ohio State. The 6-foot-2 forward dropped 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting with four rebounds, two steals and a block.
UConn is back in action Friday for a top 10 matchup against No. 6 Michigan at Mohegan Sun Arena in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase. The Huskies open Big East play on Nov. 30 at Xavier.
UConn women’s basketball stays No. 1 in AP poll with matchup next vs No. 6 Michigan