With their selection to the 2026 Associated Press All-America First Team, Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd added to UConn’s illustrious women’s basketball history on Wednesday.

Strong and Fudd etched their names in the Huskies’ record book alongside the program greats, becoming the eighth set of UConn teammates to earn first-team honors in the same season. Only 11 pairs have accomplished the feat, with Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard the most recent to do it in 2020.

"I'm thrilled for Azzi and Sarah. They worked really hard this season and they're great teammates," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma told the Associated Press. "It's been a long time coming for Azzi. She's worked through so many hardships in her time at UConn, and it's great to see all her perseverance pay off.

"Sarah picked up where she left off last season and has been so consistently good and reliable for us. I'm happy for them individually, but I know it means a lot for them to get this accomplishment together as well.”

Strong, a sophomore forward, was selected to the second team last year. This season, all 31 voters named her on their first-team ballots and she accrued 155 points. Fudd, a grad student guard, tallied 14 first-place votes and 121 points, narrowly edging Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo for the fifth and final spot on the first team.

On the season, Strong averaged 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and a field-goal percentage of 60.1. Fudd had averages of 17.7 points and 3.0 rebounds while making 48.9% of her field goals.

Also Wednesday, Strong was selected as one of four finalists for the 2026 Wade Trophy -- the Player of the Year -- given by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Strong and Fudd also were selected to the 48-player finalist list for the 10-member WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America team.

They also were named First Team All-Americans by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association this week.

Also selected to the Associated Press first team were:
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, sophomore; 27 points, 4.4 assists, 45.8 field goal%
Lauren Betts, UCLA, senior; 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 56.2 field goal%
Madison Booker, Texas, junior; 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 51.6 field goal%

Second-team selections
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame, junior
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina, sophomore
Olivia Miles, TCU, senior
Audi Crooks, Iowa State, junior
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State, sophomore

Third-team selections
Olivia Olson, Michigan, sophomore
Kiki Rice, UCLA, senior
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU, senior
Toby Fournier, Duke, sophomore
Raven Johnson, South Carolina, senior

The year listed in bold indicates two UConn players were selected as Associated Press All-Americans.
1995 Rebecca Lobo (first team), Jennifer Rizzotti (second team), Kara Wolters (third team)
1996 Jennifer Rizzotti (first team), Kara Wolters (first team)
1997 Nykesha Sales (first team), Kara Wolters (first team)
1998 Nykesha Sales (first team)
1999 Svetlana Abrosimova (second team)
2000 Svetlana Abrosimova (first team), Shea Ralph (first team)
2001 Svetlana Abrosimova (second team), Sue Bird (third team)
2002 Sue Bird (first team), Swin Cash (second team), Diana Taurasi (second team), Asjha Jones (third team)
2003 Diana Taurasi (first team)
2004 Diana Taurasi (first team)
2008 Maya Moore (first team), Tina Charles (third team), Renee Montgomery (third team)
2009 Maya Moore (first team), Renee Montgomery (first team), Tina Charles (second team)
2010 Tina Charles (first team), Maya Moore (first team)
2011 Maya Moore (first team)
2012 Tiffany Hayes (third team)
2013 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (second team), Stefanie Dolson (third team)
2014 Breanna Stewart (first team), Stefanie Dolson (second team), Bria Hartley (second team)
2015 Breanna Stewart (first team), Moriah Jefferson (second team), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (second team)
2016 Moriah Jefferson (first team), Breanna Stewart (first team), Morgan Tuck (second team)
2017 Napheesa Collier (first team), Katie Lou Samuelson (first team), Gabby Williams (second team)
2018 Katie Lou Samuelson (first team), Gabby Williams (second team), Napheesa Collier (third team)
2019 Napheesa Collier (first team), Katie Lou Samuelson (third team)
2020 Megan Walker (first team)
2021 Paige Bueckers (first team)
2023 Aaliyah Edwards (third team)
2024 Paige Bueckers (first team)
2025 Paige Bueckers (first team), Sarah Strong (second team)
2026 Sarah Strong (first team), Azzi Fudd (first team)

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