University of Connecticut Athletics
Fudd, Strong Named to Wooden Award National Ballot
3/8/2026 1:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – UConn women's basketball graduate student Azzi Fudd and sophomore Sarah Strong were named to the 15-player 2026 Women's National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club Sunday.
Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All America Team and Wooden Award Trophy, recognizing the Most Outstanding Women's College Basketball Player in the United States.
Coming off the 2025 NCAA Championship, Fudd and Strong have led the top-ranked Huskies to an undefeated 32-0 record and the 2025-26 BIG EAST regular season title.
The 2026 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection, Fudd is averaging a career-high 17.7 points per game on personal-best shooting percentages (.483/.441/.950). Fudd has already set single-season career highs in rebounds (83), assists (95) and steals (79).
Fudd ranks second nationally in three pointers made (98) and ninth in three-point percentage (44.1). Against top-25 opponents this season, she is averaging 4.4 points on a .500/.468/1.000 shooting split.
Fudd is an AAU Sullivan Award finalist and on the Naismith Trophy Late-Season Team and Ann Meyers Drysdale candidate list.
Strong was named the unanimous BIG EAST Player and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team and to the All-Defensive Team.
Strong is averaging a .594/.405/.881 shooting split with18.3 points per game. UConn's most consistent player, Strong has scored in double digits in 45 consecutive games and leads the Huskies in points, rebounds, blocks and steals. She is the first UConn player with 100 steals in a season since Gabby Williams in 2016-17.
She ranks seventh nationally in steals (103), 19th in assist-turnover ratio (2.372 and 12th in field goal percentage (59.4).
Strong is first in the nation in win shares (10.3), defensive win shares (4.8), offensive rating (133.2), defensive rating (65.3) and player efficiency (45.8).
Strong is on the Naismith Trophy Late-Season Team, the Katrina McClain top-10 candidate list and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team.
The Wooden Award Men's and Women's All America Teams, along with the Men's and Women's Top Five finalists for the Wooden Award Trophy, will be announced on Saturday, April 4 during the Men's Final Four. The 2026 Wooden Award will be presented on Friday, April 10.
Four Huskies have won the Wooden Award six times: Maya Moore (2009, '11), Tina Charles (2010), Breanna Stewart (2015, '16) and Paige Bueckers (2021).
