"How could you not pick her?!": Fans react to major Sarah Strong Freshman of the Year news

UConn star Sarah Strong was named the Freshman of the Year by "The Athletic" on Wednesday. The Huskies' star forward concluded her first regular season for the team by averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.5 blocks and 2.4 steals per game, leading them to the Big East title.

Fans on Instagram also reacted excitedly to the news that Strong won the Freshman of the Year award.

"How could you not pick her?!" one wrote rhetorically.

"As she should!" added another.

"She is THAT girl," a third commented.

Several others also claimed that Strong deserved the award after a stellar start to her collegiate career, and also stressed the fact that she is just getting started at UConn.

"👏👏👏👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥 Well deserved. She will run the entire game in the future," a user wrote.

"RAH IS MAKING HISTORY ALL READY!!! one milestone made and many more to come🔥😍🔥," one user added.

"Sarah's career is about to be record breaking just wait," one wrote.

Image via uconnwbb Instagram

After an excellent regular season with No. 3 UConn (28-3, 18-0), Strong will aim to keep up her red-hot form heading into the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

With Strong and veteran star Paige Bueckers firing on all cylinders, UConn is right in the mix to win the national title this season.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma waxes lyrical on Sarah Strong

NCAA Womens Basketball: UConn Huskies star Sarah Strong - Source: Imagn

UConn coach Geno Auriemma appeared on "The Athletic Women's Basketball Show" on Feb. 21 and waxed lyrical on Sarah Strong amid her incredible freshman season.

"Sarah loves being coached, Sarah looks right through you, like right into your soul when you're talking to her," Auriemma said. "She loves being coached, she asks a lot of questions, she wants to learn more than anything in the world."

Strong is also the only freshman on the list of finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award, an accolade given to the nation’s best small forward. It remains to be seen whether she can add to her collection of awards this season in the coming weeks.