Sophomore forward Sarah Strong has been impressive so far this season with the UConn Huskies. They remain undefeated while gearing up to face the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Amid their quest for a national championship, Strong added a personal achievement to her list of accolades. On Wednesday, she was announced as the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year. However, the UConn star is going viral on social media for another reason.
In a picture shared online, Sarah can be seen holding a poster of her teammate and senior guard Azzi Fudd, who is in her final college basketball season. According to a tweet by reporter Emily Adams, the sophomore forward is planning on hanging this poster in her room.
This gesture melted fans’ hearts online.
“She is going to miss her,” one fan wrote.
“Sarah Strong is going to miss Azzi Fudd when Azzi goes to the W,” another fan said.
“Let Azzi sign it,” this fan wrote.
“Not ready to say goodbye to them omg. Can we restart the season,” another fan said.
Azzi Fudd did not let this kind gesture pass by. As per Emily, she went back to get Strong’s poster after finding out about the aforementioned incident.
The sophomore forward joined the program in 2024. During her freshman campaign, she averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. The Huskies went on to be crowned as the national champions.
This season, Sarah has been a key player on Geno Auriemma’s team. So far in 37 games, she’s averaged 18.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 3.9 apg. The 2026 Naismith Player of the Year scored 21 points with seven rebounds and one assist during their Elite Eight victory over Notre Dame.
Paige Bueckers shares her thoughts on Sarah Strong’s development
Paige Bueckers spent five seasons with UConn, playing under coach Geno Auriemma. The Dallas Wings then drafted her with the first overall pick last year.
On Wednesday, the 2021 Naismith Player of the Year was asked to share her thoughts on Sarah Strong’s development in two years.
“The thing that stands out to me the most is her vocalness and her willingness to use her voice,” Bueckers said. “She’s the leader in the huddle. She’s getting on teammates, she’s holding people accountable because she does it herself, and she doesn’t demand anything of anybody else that she doesn’t do herself. Her confidence in using her voice definitely stands out to me.”
The UConn vs. South Carolina Final Four game is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
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