The national recognition keeps pouring in for UConn Huskies women's basketball players in advance of the season opener, which is Monday against Cornell.

On Thursday, Sarah Strong, KK Arnold and Blanca Quinonez were all named to the watch list for the National Player of the Year award. Strong, a junior, won the award as a sophomore.

Quinonez was just named to the watch list for the national Small Forward of the Year Award as well. Arnold is up for the nation's top point guard.

Here's what you need to know.

Hailing from North Carolina, Strong has already won a laundry list of awards:

1) She was the Associated Press Player of the Year as well as the Wooden Award winner in 2025-26.

2) She is a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Big East selection

3) She was the Big East Player of the Year in 2025-26

4) She was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2025-26

5) She is a two-time All-Region selection

Last season, she led the Huskies to an unbeaten regular season and a 38-1 overall record. In 38 games, she scored 18.4 ppg and pulled down 7.7 rebounds. She shot 58 percent from the floor and 40.4 percent at the foul line. She did all of this while only playing 27.4 minutes per game as a result of so many Huskies blowout victories.

A sophomore from Ecuador, Quinonez took the nation by storm as a freshman, pairing with Strong to make up one of the best front courts in the entire nation. In 31 games, Quinonez averaged 10.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

She was named the Big East Rookie of the Year, the Big East Sixth Woman of the Year and earned a spot on the NCAA All-Region Team.

She is coming off an offseason that included two surgeries. She has not played in the preseason and she is very much a question mark for Monday's opener against the Big Red.

Now a senior, the point guard has been a key part of Auriemma's rotation for years. Arnold started 33 games as a freshman, playing 30.2 minutes per game, but she didn't start any games as a sophomore in 2024-25. Of course, UConn won the title that season behind the play of Paige Bueckers.

She worked back into the starting lineup for 38 games last season, but still averaged just 24.4 minutes. That is also probably likely due to the lopsided nature of several UConn games.

Her defensive tenacity and her ability to get into the lane as a scorer and passer will be hugely important for this team.