While Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd were undoubtedly the biggest names and invaluable pieces of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team winning the 2025 national championship, there's a case to be made that Sarah Strong (who was a freshman that season) was the most important aspect of UConn's on-court success.

UConn has college basketball’s deepest roster, using an artillery of top talent that will be hard for anyone to match. Sarah Strong is a do-it-all National Player of the Year front-runner, a sophomore with magnetic hands, a deft touch around the rim, and poise that few other 19-year-olds have ever possessed on a basketball court.

With Paige Bueckers gone, the top-ranked Huskies have built their offense around Strong, a sophomore forward who is showing her range of skills.

Sarah Strong had 29 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocked shots and Azzi Fudd added 19 points and seven assists as top-ranked UConn defeated Ohio State 100-68 on Sunday.

The Associated Press national player of the week in women’s basketball for Week 1 of the season is UConn forward Sarah Strong.

UConn's Geno Auriemma looks to Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd when it comes to critical plays. Strong explains how she handles that pressure as one of the team leaders.