Women's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Odds: Sarah Strong Leads Crowded Field Entering Final Four

Women's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Odds: Can Sarah Strong Win MVP if UConn Wins it All?

The Women's Final Four is set, and so is the race for Most Outstanding Player, the women’s tournament equivalent of a postseason MVP. Sarah Strong is the odds-on favorite at -115, and that tells you how the market views both UConn and her role in this run. She is not quite the same household name that Paige Bueckers or Caitlin Clark were entering past Final Fours, but she has become the most important player on the best team left standing. UConn enters Friday night as a -6.5 favorite over South Carolina, and if the Huskies get through that heavyweight semifinal and then beat the winner of Texas vs. UCLA, Strong is in prime position to cash this award.

UConn is still the championship favorite, though not by the same overwhelming margin it carried into the tournament. The title price has softened from its heavier opening number because this year’s field produced an all-No. 1 seed Final Four, leaving three other legitimate title threats still alive. That means the path is tougher, but it also means the eventual winner of this award is likely to come from a player who dominates two elite games in a row rather than simply piling up stats in blowouts.

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Women's NCAA Tournament Champion Odds

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Women's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Odds Breakdown

Sarah Strong, UConn (-115)

Strong has the cleanest case on the board because she has been UConn’s best all-around player all season. She is averaging 18.6 points per game and has built a complete profile as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender, which is why she earned national Player of the Year attention and Big East Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors. UConn is 38-0, and Strong has been the most consistent force behind that dominance.

She has backed that up in the tournament, too. In the Elite Eight win over Notre Dame, Strong posted 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals, and three assists, earning regional Most Outstanding Player honors and reinforcing exactly why she is the favorite here. If UConn wins the title and Strong plays to her standard on both ends, this number makes sense.

Madison Booker, Texas (+550)

Booker is the most obvious challenger outside of UConn because Texas will go only as far as she can carry it offensively. The Longhorns reached the Final Four after hammering Michigan 77-41, and Booker led the way with 19 points while Texas’ defense suffocated another high-level opponent. She has been the face of this team all year and remains the player most capable of taking over a semifinal or title game with pure shot-making.

Her case is helped by the bracket path. If Texas beats UCLA and then knocks off UConn or South Carolina in the title game, Booker would likely be at the center of both wins. She already delivered one of the signature performances of the tournament earlier in Texas’ run, and she has the usage and star billing needed to leap everyone if the Longhorns cut down the nets.

Lauren Betts, UCLA (+700)

Betts remains one of the most dangerous names in this market because there are very few players left who can dominate a game physically the way she can. UCLA’s tournament push has leaned heavily on her interior scoring and rebounding, and she reminded everyone of that with a 35-point second-round explosion against Oklahoma State. When she is rolling, the Bruins become incredibly difficult to guard and even harder to keep off the glass.

The challenge for Betts is opportunity and path. UCLA likely needs her to outplay Texas’ frontcourt first, then probably take on either UConn’s depth or South Carolina’s size in the championship. The upside is obvious, though. If UCLA wins two more games, it is easy to see Betts being the reason why, and at +700 she is a very live non-UConn option.

Azzi Fudd, UConn (+700)

Fudd is the most interesting co-star on the board because she has the shot-making profile to steal this award even from a teammate as dominant as Strong. She is averaging a career-best 17.8 points per game, has already won a prior Final Four Most Outstanding Player award, and still carries the kind of big-game scoring reputation that can flip a market like this fast.

She has already shown tournament pop as well. Fudd dropped 34 points against Syracuse in the second round, then added 13 points and four assists in the Elite Eight. If Strong is the steadier all-around engine, Fudd is the player most likely to deliver the unforgettable scoring burst on Final Four weekend, which is exactly how these awards can sometimes swing.

Joyce Edwards, South Carolina (+900)

Edwards gives South Carolina a real chance to blow up the UConn script. She has been one of the Gamecocks’ top scorers and a major reason they are still standing, most notably with 23 points in the win that pushed them into the second weekend. South Carolina’s identity is still built around depth, defense, and physical play, but Edwards has increasingly looked like the most likely player to become the headliner if the Gamecocks win two more games.

Her path is difficult, but the opportunity is huge. South Carolina first has to beat unbeaten UConn, which would immediately give Edwards a major narrative bump if she plays well. Then she would need one more big performance against Texas or UCLA. At +900, she sits just behind the UConn and Texas stars, but she is probably the best value if you believe South Carolina spoils the favorite’s title run.

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