Before Sarah Strong had played a game for the UConn Huskies, coach Geno Auriemma raved over the summer, comparing Strong to the school's first All-American, Kerry Bascom, as a positionless star. He raised eyebrows when he described Strong as a player who would change the trajectory of the UConn program and was "probably as impressive as any freshman that we've had in a long, long time."
Over the first six weeks of the season, Strong has lived up to the hype. She hasn't merely emerged as the comfortable front-runner in the freshman-of-the-year conversation, she's quickly establishing herself as one of the best players in the country. She's averaging 17.3 points, second for the No. 4 Huskies behind Paige Bueckers, along with a team-best 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks. She's doing all of that while shooting 56% from the field (including 76.9% at the rim) and sinking 36.5% of her 3-pointers. Her 23 triples are tied for most on the team.
JUMP TO: Ranking this season's five best freshmen
"I don't know if you can put it into words," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly, who watched Strong score 29 points against his squad Tuesday, including as many points as his entire roster in the third quarter (17). "She was so good. There's certain people, and Geno's had them over the years I think, that the game looks really easy and it just pisses you off," he said with a laugh.
After her college debut, Auriemma said Strong would need to play like an All-American for the Huskies to win their first national championship since 2016. Those expectations seemed lofty at the time but within the realm of possibility now. Eleven games into her career, she is already eliciting comparisons to program greats Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore.
"If we're going anywhere with this team this year, [Strong] has to be a big, big part of it," Auriemma said, "and she's OK with that."
Strong has been so steady and consistent, so infrequently unfazed, that a reporter asked her after the Iowa State game whether playing at the college level has even been challenging for her (she assured the reporter that it has). When asked if anything frazzles Strong, Bueckers jokingly went with something unrelated to basketball entirely -- playing Fortnite.
"I think I've adjusted pretty well," Strong said. "Game one I was really nervous and kind of excited to get everything started, but now I feel like I'm more confident in myself and my abilities."
Greatness is found in Strong's family history. Her mother, Allison Feaster, was a three-time Ivy League women's basketball player of the year at Harvard. Feaster was the nation's leading scorer when the then-16-seed Crimson Tide scored a legendary upset of 1-seed Stanford in the first round of the 1998 NCAA tournament. The No. 5 draft pick that year, Feaster played 10 seasons in the WNBA and until 2016 internationally. She currently works for the Boston Celtics as vice president of team operations and organizational growth.
With both of her parents playing basketball overseas -- her father, Danny Strong, also played at NC State -- Strong was born in Spain and didn't move to the United States until she was 10, settling in North Carolina. The Huskies were in on Strong early in the recruiting process.
"The way she saw the floor, how she finished around the basket," Auriemma said of how Strong stood out. "Her nonrushed, casual approach to the game, where all the great players have the ability to slow the game down somewhat."
Strong took her time making her college decision -- Duke and North Carolina were also in her top three -- before announcing her commitment to the Huskies in April of her senior year.
It was an important addition for the Huskies ahead of Bueckers' expected final season in Storrs, both toward its efforts to win now and to build for the future. UConn's best teams, Auriemma has said, have had a three-pronged combination of a great guard, a great wing and a great inside presence. The 2024-25 edition has the outlines of that with Bueckers, Azzi Fudd (who has sat out time this season because of knee issues) and Strong.
"She just wants to come in and contribute to winning, and you can see that within her game," Bueckers said. "In games she's not scoring, she's still impacting winning, still making plays, whether it's rebounding, defending, she can pass extremely well. And then there's games where she has outbursts scoring. She's humble, she's hungry, she's driven, and she wants to be a great player."
Bueckers has said Strong's passing, shooting and ability to play on the perimeter make her more of a guard than other post players she has played alongside in Storrs. Bueckers has compared Strong's quick hands to "go go Gadget arms" from "Inspector Gadget."
"There's not a lot of things that Sarah can't do," Bueckers said.
Over the past few weeks, Auriemma has seen a growing comfort level in Strong, that she more often wants the ball and tries to make something happen with it. She'll have her next shot at adding to her growing profile Saturday when UConn hosts No. 7 USC and JuJu Watkins.
They've "barely, barely, barely" scratched the surface with where Strong is going, Auriemma said Sunday. And with every game, Strong is showing she's eager to embrace that challenge.
"I think sometimes [the tradition and expectations at UConn] scares some kids," Auriemma said Thursday. "They start to question whether they can, and yet at the same time it motivates some kids to actually go, 'Yeah, that's why I came here, because I can do this, and I'm going to be one of those people that people talk about, that was a great player at UConn.'
"You're never quite sure what you're getting, but I thought we knew what we were getting when we got Sarah."
Ranking the country's best freshmen
1. Sarah Strong, UConn, 6-2, forward
Strong is one of two freshmen to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. She also stands out on the defensive end as the only freshman to rank in the top 10 in blocks and steals.
2. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, 5-8, guard
In Shea Ralph's revival of the Commodores, Blakes -- the No. 8 recruit in the class -- could be the difference-maker that helps them return to SEC and national relevance. Blakes' 20.4 points per game rank top 20 nationally and is tied for first among freshmen, helping the Commodores to a 11-1 start. She already has earned at least a share of the SEC freshman of the week award three times.
3. Syla Swords, Michigan, 6-0, guard
The crown jewel of the Wolverines' strong freshman class and the highest-ranked recruit in program history, Swords announced her arrival to the college scene in her debut when she recorded 27 points and 12 rebounds against reigning national champion South Carolina. It remains the most points scored by a freshman against a ranked team this season. The 2024 Canadian Olympian boasts three other 20-point games this season.
4. Kiyomi McMiller, Rutgers, 5-8, guard
The Scarlet Knights have been an afterthought in the Big Ten in recent years, but McMiller is a player people around the country will know sooner than later. Her team-high 20.0 points per game is tied for first among freshmen with Blakes, but McMiller's ballhandling is impressing early. A recent highlight when she did an Allen Iverson-esque crossover spin move vs. Wagner that led to a jumper made the rounds online this past week.
5. Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State, 5-7, guard
Cambridge, the No. 2 prospect in the class, has made an instant impact for the unbeaten Buckeyes, scoring 31 points on 14 shots in her first game against Cleveland State. She fits perfectly into Ohio State's press defense, averaging 2.6 steals, second most among freshmen, and is the Buckeyes' top facilitator (4.4 APG). Ohio State has had an underwhelming nonconference slate so all eyes will be on Cambridge as she faces stiffer competition in the Big Ten.