US Edition“Paige Should’ve Won”: Geno Auriemma Sends Loud Message After Arnold, Strong Grab National Spotlight
- On Tuesday, Sarah Strong, UConn sophomore, and KK Arnold, UConn junior point guard, were named to the 25-player Naismith Defensive Player of the Year midseason watchlist.
- UConn's defense hasn't allowed more than 70 points this season and kept opponents under 55 during their 11-0 start in Big East play, ranking high in scoring defense and forced turnovers.
- Strong has paced UConn across major statistical categories while also leading in advanced defensive measures, while Arnold anchors the full-court press with a career-high steals rate and top defensive rating and box plus/minus.
- Strong is considered a frontrunner for the Naismith national player of the year, and if she wins the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, she would be the youngest winner since 2018.
- This year the watchlist again includes returning finalists Lauren Betts, UCLA center, and Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame guard, preserving elite competition with past winners like Aliyah Boston highlighting a crowded race.
25 Articles
25 Articles
“Paige Should’ve Won”: Geno Auriemma Sends Loud Message After Arnold, Strong Grab National Spotlight
Veteran collegiate head coach Bob Knight once iterated, “good basketball starts with good defense”, and this has been the cornerstone of Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies this season. The team is second on the defense charts, with just an average of 51 points conceded, with Sarah Strong and KK Arnold doing most of the heavy work. Following the performances, both players were also included on the watch list for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Ye…
Hartford Courant
The SaratogianUConn’s Sarah Strong, KK Arnold land on Naismith Defensive Player of the Year midseason watchlist
The UConn women's basketball team has two representatives on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year midseason watchlist released Tuesday.
Griffith Named to Mid-Major Coach of the Year Midseason Watch List
HOPEWELL, N.J. – Lavine Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball Megan Griffith has been named to the 10-person midseason watch list for the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. Now in its third year of existence, the award recognizes the best mid-major coach in Women's Division I college basketball.
LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley Named To 2026 Naismith Defensive Player Of The Year Watch List
Tiger Rag News Services LSU junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley was named to the 2026 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List Tuesday afternoon, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. The list consisting of 25 collegiate players includes Fulwiley, who has developed her defensive skills since joining the LSU program in the offseason. “MiLaysia has the
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