The UConn women’s basketball team’s star trio of redshirt senior guard Azzi Fudd, senior forward Serah Williams and sophomore forward Sarah Strong were all named to the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Year watchlist on Thursday.
All three players also received preseason recognition from the Big East last week, headlined by Strong as the preseason Big East Player of the Year. Strong was the youngest player named to the preseason AP All-American team and is considered an early favorite to bring home national player of the year awards in 2025-26.
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Strong averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks last season to help lead the Huskies to their first NCAA championship since 2016. On the way to the title, Strong broke the NCAA Tournament record for most points scored by a freshman previously held by Tennessee legend Tamika Catchings. She was a second-team AP All-American, a WBCA All-American, a USBWA third-team All-American and the WBCA Freshman of the Year in 2024-25. She set UConn’s program record for rebounds by a freshman and became the first freshman since Hall of Famer Maya Moore to score 600-plus points.
Fudd is also expected to be one of the best players in the country entering her final college season the healthiest she’s been in her career. The Huskies’ sharpshooter appeared in 34 games last season after returning from a 2023 ACL tear and averaged 13.6 points shooting a career-best 47.4% from the field and leading the team hitting 43.6% from beyond the arc. She hit her stride during the NCAA Tournament and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Fudd was named a second-team preseason All-American by The Athletic and USA Today, and she landed on the watchlist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award given to the nation’s top shooting guard.
Williams was a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection and the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year during her three seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to UConn for her senior year. She averaged a near double-double in 2024-25 with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game plus 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks.
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The preseason Naismith Trophy watchlist featured 50 players, and UConn is one of five schools with at least three on the list. Preseason No. 3 UCLA and No. 6 Oklahoma landed four players apiece on the list, while No. 2 South Carolina and No. 5 LSU each had three representatives.
The last UConn player to win the Naismith Trophy was Paige Bueckers, who became the first freshman ever to earn the award in 2021. Seven Huskies have won the award since it waas established in 1983.
