The stars are shining bright during the 2026 women’s NCAA Tournament.
During a season dominated by top teams and All-American talents, it should come as no surprise that the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player candidates are also the best players in the sport.
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Entering the final weekend of the season, the biggest stars in women’s college hoops are still playing at a very high level. The top four MOP candidates in FanDuel’s latest betting odds comprise 80 percent of this season’s Wooden Award finalists.
The women’s MOP is voted on by attending media after the championship game, with the winner often being the most productive player from the national champion.
While the men’s MOP award has mostly gone to guards over the last decade, the women’s MOP has been a guard only four times in the last 20 tournaments.
Last season’s MOP, UConn guard Azzi Fudd, further complicates this year’s voting as a returning winner having another strong NCAA Tournament run. Voters haven’t been shy about declaring repeat winners in the past, with five back-to-back recipients ever.
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But Fudd has to contend with a strong field of stars, headlined by her own Connecticut teammate, Sarah Strong.
Sarah Strong established as favorite
In FanDuel’s women’s Most Outstanding Player odds, Strong (-115) is the clear favorite through the first two weeks of the tournament. Displaying remarkable consistency, the All-American is averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4 steals and 1.8 blocks per game over the first four rounds.
Strong is also the catalyst for UConn’s top-ranked defense. Generating at least five steals in three out of four tournament appearances, Strong is just as likely to change the game defensively for the Huskies as with her offense. With UConn as such a heavy favorite to repeat as national champions, Strong holds a sizable advantage over the rest of the MOP field.
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Also the favorite for the Wooden Award, Strong is putting together a stellar sophomore year filled with accolades. An undefeated national championship and winning the MOP would be icing on the cake for Strong’s memorable season.
Plenty of stars still in the MOP mix
Behind Strong is a group of established stars with accomplished track records.
Texas junior forward Madison Booker (+550) made early headlines in the NCAA Tournament with a 40-point performance for the Longhorns in a second-round victory over Oregon. At 22.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game over four rounds, Booker is regularly recording big numbers and looks like the clear Texas candidate for MOP if the Longhorns win the national title.
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UCLA center Lauren Betts (+700) is another viable contender for MOP. The 6-foot-7 senior is putting up monster numbers during the tournament at 24 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 70 percent from the floor.
Despite regularly facing double-teams and exotic defensive looks in the tournament, Betts continues to stay productive. With UCLA trailing Duke at the half in the Elite Eight, Betts stepped up with a season-high 38 minutes and finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.
The top guard left in the MOP race, Fudd (+700), is actually putting up stronger numbers this NCAA Tournament than last one. Fudd’s scoring is slightly down, but she’s producing far more in other categories of the box score while shooting a higher percentage from distance.
In this tournament, Fudd is averaging 16 points, 4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 3 steals while shooting 55 percent from 3-point range. Fudd also delivered a signature performance with 34 points and eight 3-pointers in a second-round win over Syracuse — the senior’s final home game in Gampel Pavilion.
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While Fudd has work to do during the Final Four to make up ground for the MOP, she would join Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart (four times) as the only Huskies to win the award multiple times.
The other realistic MOP candidate is South Carolina sophomore forward Joyce Edwards (+900). The Gamecocks feature more balance than the other three remaining teams, but Edwards is a notable standout in March at 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in tournament play.
Similar to the MOP candidacies of Booker and Betts, Edwards and South Carolina almost assuredly need to topple UConn and secure a national championship before worrying about individual awards.
Among long-shot contenders, UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez (+3000) is the name to keep an eye on. In the midst of a breakout NCAA Tournament, the forward is averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 62 percent from the floor and 47 percent from 3.
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Although Quiñonez is unlikely to surpass Strong and Fudd among UConn MOP candidates, her ascension this March is a storyline to watch in case she puts together a huge Final Four weekend.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Connecticut Huskies, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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