When it comes to dominating the college basketball landscape, Sarah Strong is doing just about everything short of rewriting the rulebook - and even that might be coming soon.
The UConn sophomore has been named to the midseason watch list for the 2026 Katrina McClain Award, which honors the nation’s top power forward. No surprise there. Strong has been the engine behind the Huskies’ undefeated run this season, and she’s doing it in a way that puts her in elite company - not just in Storrs, but across the country.
Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re jaw-dropping. Strong leads the top-ranked Huskies - who sit at 24-0 overall and 13-0 in the Big East - in nearly every major statistical category: scoring (19.2 PPG), field-goal percentage (60.1%), rebounds (8.0 RPG), assists (4.5 APG), steals (3.4 SPG), and blocks (1.5 BPG).
That’s not just versatility - that’s complete control of the game on both ends of the floor. And it’s not just within her team.
She leads the entire Big East in scoring, field-goal percentage, and steals. That’s dominance.
In Wednesday’s 86-40 win over DePaul in Chicago, Strong put up another efficient stat line: 14 points, six boards, five assists, and two steals - all in just 20 minutes. It’s the kind of performance that’s become routine for her, but still manages to impress every time.
If you’ve been following UConn’s storied history, you know how rare it is to make the kind of early impact Strong has. She was the Big East Freshman of the Year last season, a WBCA All-American in 2025, and played a key role in UConn’s 12th national championship.
Now, as a sophomore, she’s already earned Big East Player of the Week honors six times. And on Jan. 19, she became the third-fastest player in UConn history to reach the 1,000-point milestone - doing it in just 59 games.
Only Maya Moore and Paige Bueckers got there faster. That’s the kind of company Strong is keeping.
The McClain Award, first handed out in 2018, has only had one UConn winner: Napheesa Collier in 2019. Strong is making a strong case to become the second. Last year’s winner, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, set the bar high, but Strong’s all-around game and impact on an undefeated squad make her a serious contender.
She’s joined on the 2026 midseason list by a stacked group of fellow semifinalists: Janiah Barker (Tennessee), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (Baylor), Maggie Doogan (Richmond), Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), Toby Fournier (Duke), Khamil Pierre (NC State), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa), Sacha Washington (Vanderbilt), and Laura Ziegler (Louisville). The competition is fierce, but Strong’s versatility and leadership on a title-contending team put her right at the heart of the conversation.
The five finalists for the McClain Award will be announced in March, with the winner revealed during the Final Four in Phoenix.
And Strong’s not the only Husky getting national attention this week. Graduate guard Azzi Fudd was named a semifinalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which honors the nation’s top shooting guard. Meanwhile, UConn senior Serah Williams - who was on the preseason watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award (top center) - will learn her semifinalist fate when that list drops on Friday.
For now, UConn turns its focus back to conference play, with a Saturday matchup against Butler at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. And with Sarah Strong leading the charge, the Huskies don’t just look unbeatable - they look historic.