ESPN Names Sarah Strong Nation's Best After UConn's 25th Final Four
Key Takeaways
- ESPN published Final Four player rankings for both men's and women's.
- Four teams remain in the Final Four: Arizona, Michigan, UConn, Illinois.
- Sarah Strong tops the women's Final Four rankings for ESPN.
Strong Tops ESPN Rankings
ESPN crowned UConn's Sarah Strong as the nation's best and maintained her top spot.
“4 Arizona Wildcats crack top 10 of ESPN’s Final Four starters ranking Apr 3, 2026, 4:16 PM Arizona is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and will be joined by upcoming opponent Michigan, UConn and Illinois in Indianapolis this weekend”
Strong averaged 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while delivering massive defensive impact.
South Carolina placed five players on the list behind Strong's balanced attack.
Texas's Madison Booker and UCLA's Lauren Betts completed the top five.
Arizona Floods Top 10
Arizona featured four Wildcats among ESPN's top 10 Final Four starters.
Freshman guard Brayden Burries ranked highest at No. 4.
Koa Peat followed at No. 5 as an All-Big 12 Third-Team selection.
Michigan's Lendeborg Leads Title Favorites
ESPN named Michigan's Alex Lendeborg the top player remaining in March Madness.
“With March Madness down to the Final Four,ESPN ranked all 20 starting basketball playerswho will be featured this weekend”
Lendeborg averaged 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists over the last three games.
On3 framed him as the best player remaining.
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