Freshman Sarah Strong a key piece for a UConn team eyeing a record 12th national title

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma does not tend to add to the pressure on UConn recruits with comparison to the greats who have come before them. No point guard is referred to as the next Sue Bird or Jennifer Rizzotti. He refrains from name-dropping Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore or Breanna Stewart when another potential superstar suits up for the Huskies.

There has been one notable exception. When Auriemma was recruiting Sarah Strong, he says, he mentioned to the versatile 6-foot-2 forward that her game bears a striking resemblance to that of Kerry Bascom, a two-time All-American in 1990-91 and the star of UConn’s first Final Four team.

The ability to play all five positions made Bascom unstoppable during her playing days and Auriemma sees so many of those qualities when Strong takes the court — her ability to score inside or outside, rebound, make the right pass and, most of all, to anticipate plays.

“Obviously no one is able to watch all of our practices, but the way she impacts games sometimes don’t even show up on the box score,” Auriemma said. “It doesn’t always show up on the box score just how incredibly high her basketball IQ is, that she’s able to see things before they develop. She knows exactly where the ball is going all the time.”

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Strong, rated as the top-ranked player in her recruiting class, could have run away from the comparisons. Instead, she goes about her business with a quiet confidence, much in the way that Bascom did during her career.

Strong is not looking for the spotlight. She is happy to see Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and her other teammates get their moments in the sun. However, UConn would not be a No. 2 seed in March Madness and a threat to win it all without its soft-spoken freshman.

Strong heads into her first NCAA tournament ranking in the top 10 list among UConn freshmen in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. The only other player who can lay claim to that accomplishment is Maya Moore. She is the first Division I freshman with at least 500 points, 250 rebounds, 100 assists, 50 steals and 50 blocked shots since Candace Parker.

“It has been a lot of fun. I have enjoyed the adjustment,” Strong said. “I know it hasn’t been easy but being away from home and having to do things differently, being away from my parents and being more independent.”

Her parents know a thing or two about playing basketball at a high level: Danny Strong played at North Carolina State and Allison Feaster starred at Harvard, where she helped the Crimson become the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She played 10 seasons in the WNBA.

Strong spent the first decade of her life in Spain before a move to North Carolina. She doesn’t usually go more than a day or two without speaking to her parents.

“It is usually about the basketball part,” Strong said with a laugh. “They are just checking up on me to see how I am doing. It is also a big adjustment for them.”

Strong had 17 points and six steals in her first collegiate game. She had a double-double in her first career matchup against a ranked team. Strong is second only to Bueckers in scoring for the Huskies. She leads the team in rebounds, steals and blocked shots.

“She has real good instincts as a freshman,” Creighton women’s basketball coach Jim Flanery said. “It helps that she plays on a really good passing team because she moves well without the ball, she understands angles, she has great hands. For sure, I think she is a sneaky good defender. I think she has really good instincts. She is just a good basketball player, probably a great basketball player.”

Strong will be a key player for the Huskies as they look to make the Final Four as the No. 2 seed in Regional 4. UConn opens with Arkansas State at home in the first round on Saturday.

“It has definitely been an adjustment, the pace from high school,” Strong said. “It took a while to get used to the pace from high school to college so it took a while to get used to. I have enjoyed it, I find that fun just doing something that I am not used to doing.”

Auriemma was struck by her confidence but added “I think the best thing and the worst thing about her is she knows she’s a great passer, one of the best we’ve ever had. And we’ve had some great ones. She’s one of the best passers we’ve ever had. That’s incredible for a kid that can score like that.”

The Huskies will be counting on Strong as their NCAA run begins.

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