UConn women’s basketball redshirt senior Caroline Ducharme was named to the top-20 watchlist for the Cheryl Miller Award on Wednesday.
Ducharme missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to a series of head and neck injuries but looks to make her full-time return to the court this year. She played just four games in 2023-24 and appeared in nine last year after debuting for the Huskies at the end of the regular season, but she never spent more than 11 minutes on the court as she recalibrated to playing with full contact against real opponents. Ducharme is still day-to-day in practice, but she’s stringing together good days with far more consistency than she was able to at this time last year.
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Ducharme played her most complete season as a freshman in 2021-22, appearing in 31 games with 11 starts. She averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds shooting 45.5% from the field and 28.8% on 3-pointers.
The Cheryl Miller Award is given to the best small forward in the nation. Texas forward Madison Booker has won the award for the past two years and is back on the preseason watchlist. Fellow 2025 finalist LSU’s Mikaylah Williams also made the top 20.
The only UConn player who has won the Cheryl Miller Award was Gabby Williams in 2018. Sophomore phenom Sarah Strong was a finalist for the award in 2024-25, but she could be considered for a different positional award this year. The Naismith Hall of Fame gives out five awards annually, one for each position. Huskies guard Azzi Fudd is on the preseason watchlist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award given to the nation’s top shooting guard.
UConn women’s basketball star named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award preseason watchlist
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Cheryl Miller Award preseason watchlist
Madison Booker, Texas; Maryam Dauda, South Carolina; Jadyn Donovan, Duke; Caroline Ducharme, UConn; Bella Fontleroy, Baylor
Yarden Garzon, Maryland; Nyla Harris, North Carolina; Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State; Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA; Skylar Jones, Louisville
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss; Jordan Obi, Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Michigan; Tierra Simon, Richmond; Grace Slaughter, Missouri
Adrianna Smith, Maine; Zee Spearman, Tennessee; Grace Vanslooten, Michigan State; Mikaylah Williams, LSU; Sahara Williams, Oklahoma
