The Crown is Vacant: The Race for 2026 National Player of the Year

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For the first time in years, the National Player of the Year race isn’t a foregone conclusion, but a high-stakes battle between a historic sophomore, a triple-double machine, and the leader of a perfect team.

As we head into the Big Dance, here are the frontrunners for the 2026 Naismith and Wooden Awards.

The Frontrunner: Sarah Strong (UConn)

If you had to pick a winner today, it would be UConn’s Sarah Strong. The sophomore forward has somehow exceeded the gargantuan expectations of being the No. 1 recruit in history.

The Numbers: Strong is averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 4.1 APG while shooting a staggering 60.1% from the field.
The “Efficiency” Argument: Strong averages under 27 minutes per game because UConn is blowing everyone out, yet her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) leads the nation.
The Statement: On March 12, she was officially named ESPN’s National Player of the Year, largely due to her ability to lead the Huskies to a perfect 34-0 record without a single senior in the starting lineup.

The Stat-Stuffer: Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)

If the award is based on sheer individual brilliance, Hannah Hidalgo is the choice. The junior guard is playing a style of basketball the ACC has never seen.

Historic Versatility: Hidalgo is the only player in Division I history (men’s or women’s) to average 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals per game.
The “Iron” Guard: She recently became the first player in ACC history to be named both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.
The Resume: She broke the NCAA single-game steals record earlier this season with 16 swipes against Akron and became the fastest player in ACC history to reach 2,000 career points (86 games).

The Tale of the Tape: Top Candidates

Player	School	Stats (PPG/RPG/APG)	Key Accolade
Sarah Strong	UConn	18.5 / 7.6 / 4.1	Big East PoY & DPoY
Hannah Hidalgo	Notre Dame	25.2 / 6.4 / 5.3	ACC PoY & DPoY (2x)
Madison Booker	Texas	18.9 / 6.5 / 3.8	SEC Tournament MVP
Lauren Betts	UCLA	16.4 / 8.6/ 3.2	Big Ten PoY & DPoY
Mikayla Blakes	Vanderbilt	27.0 / 3.8 / 4.4	SEC Player of the Year

The SEC Powerhouses: Booker and Blakes

The SEC is the deepest conference in the country, and two players have separated themselves from the pack.

Madison Booker (Texas): After moving to point guard out of necessity, Booker has blossomed into the most dangerous all-around threat in the South. She led the Longhorns to the SEC Tournament title and was named the tournament’s MVP after outdueling South Carolina’s stars.
Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt): The sophomore guard shocked the league by winning SEC Player of the Year, averaging 30 points a game in conference play. As the nation’s leading scorer for much of the season, she single-handedly carried Vanderbilt to a 4-seed, their highest in over a decade.

The Defensive Wall: Lauren Betts (UCLA)

UCLA center Lauren Betts has emerged as the most dominant post presence since Brittney Griner.

The Big Ten Takeover: In UCLA’s first year in the Big Ten, Betts claimed both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
The Anchor: She is the primary reason the Bruins were able to dismantle Iowa by 51 points in the Big Ten title game, recording 15 points and 4 blocks while altering nearly every shot in the paint.

The “What If”: JuJu Watkins

The elephant in the room remains JuJu Watkins. The USC star would likely be the unanimous favorite for this award had she not been sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season recovering from her March 2025 ACL tear. Her absence has opened the door for Sarah Strong to claim the mantle of the “Face of College Basketball.”