It's barely mid-January and the UConn Huskies are already proving that they're essentially unstoppable this season. The defending champions are undefeated and will only face two potential challenges (from Notre Dame and then arch-rival Tennessee) before March Madness begins — and that's exactly how the Huskies want it to be.
Sophomore Sarah Strong is also nearly everyone's expected National Player of the Year winner, and, at this point, the race is Strong's to give up. That seems highly unlikely, given Strong's legendary discipline, focus, and drive to be the best, and perhaps it's more appropriate for everyone else to begin packings up in anticipation of trying again next year.
The NPOY gap is sizable, but not insurmountable
As noted by ESPN Tuesday, it's not entirely impossible that someone else will match and exceed Strong's performance this season, but anyone who attempts to will face a fairly significant uphill battle. Strong is currently averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.7 steals, and 1.4 blocks for the Huskies.
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes and Texas' Madison Booker are also potential NPOY winners this season. Blakes is averaging 24.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.6 steals so far for the Commodores, and Booker is averaging 19.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals.
Both Blakes and Booker also benefit from playing for other teams who may pose significant challenge to the Huskies. The Commodores are currently boasting a 17-0 undefeated record, and the Longhorns only recently suffered their first loss of the season against LSU. Both players will still have plenty of time to continue to improve their already lethal stat lines.
Mikayla Blakes has a tantalizing opportunity in front of her
Between Blakes and Booker, the former has an extremely compelling journey toward potentially upsetting Strong's lock on NPOY. The Commodores surprised LSU by snagging a 65-61 upset victory when they hosted the Tigers in Nashville this month, and the team could end up in the top two of the entire SEC. It's safe to assume Blakes would be a significant driver for that result.
Blakes is benefitting enormously from the coaching of Shea Ralph, who played for UConn from 1996 to 2001 and then joined Auriemma's staff as an assistant coach in 2008. Ralph made the move to Nashville in 2021 to head the Commodores, and has steadily worked toward bringing the program back to its former glory since (Vanderbilt made regular appearances in the NCAA tournament in the 1990s and again between 2000 and 2014).