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.
