"My fav cowgirl": KK Arnold, Sarah Strong, and other UConn stars hype up Ashlynn Shade's snaps from NCAA title win

UConn guard Ashlynn Shade has been basking in the glow of the team’s recent NCAA championship victory. On Thursday, she posted a series of jubilant photos on Instagram celebrating everything that followed the great victory.

"Some pics I favorited this month😌," Shade wrote as the caption.

The post garnered attention from her teammates, KK Arnold, Morgan Cheli, Sarah Strong, and other UConn stars, who showered the sophomore guard with praise.

"MY FAV COWGIRL," Arnold commented with a red heart emoji.

"Shadeeeee🤌🏾" Strong added.

"ashhh 😍🙌" Cheli wrote.

"looking good ms. shade," freshman guard Allie Ziebell chimed in.

Comments on Ashlynn Shade's post (@therealashlynn12/IG)

The first picture showed Ashlynn Shade climbing on the ladder to cut the net. The second one displayed her during the championship game against South Carolina on Sunday. The next ones featured her posing with the trophy with her family. The last one showed Shade embracing her coach, Geno Auriemma.

UConn WBB's Instagram account also shared pictures of Shade celebrating the championship win. She posed holding the trophy with a big smile on her face.

Although Shade had only 12 starts this season, she proved to be a crucial part of the team, often providing a spark off the bench. She averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.4 minutes per game.

Geno Auriemma applauds Ashlynn Shade's impact but keeps it quiet

The impact Ashlynn Shade is having is not going unnoticed, but head coach Geno Auriemma does not want to put pressure on her by heaping praise on her.

Shade, who arrived in Storrs for the 2023-24 season, had a significant role on the team that made it all the way to the Final Four. She started 33 games and averaged 11.0 ppg as a freshman.

Although her starting role was reduced this season, she still showed glimpses of brilliance as a key player off the bench.

"The thing I appreciate the most about her is that she's my target for everything that goes wrong on the team, and I appreciate that she doesn't hold it against me personally," Auriemma said after Shade's 12-point outing against Oklahoma in NCAA Sweet 16.

"I do take her for granted, but at the same time, 99 out of 100 times I can't take her out of the game—whether she's playing well, not playing well. There's just something about having her in the game that makes me feel better… until it doesn't."

Ashlynn Shade had four points, two assists and two steals in the championship game against South Carolina.