Last season, Sarah Strong put together what might’ve been the best freshman season in UConn’s history. She averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks while earning national freshman of the year and WBCA All-American honors. In the program’s freshman record books, she finished second in points (657), first in rebounds (356, 60 more than second place), second in assists (142), second in steals (92) and fourth in blocks (4).
Strong stepped in on day one and never skipped a beat.
“When you come in as a freshman and you're trying to just fit in, and you're naturally quiet, things take a little bit of time for it to show itself,” Geno Auriemma said about Strong. “But the way she just blended in so easily last year and the way things evolved at the end and how comfortable she looked… having that kind of success motivated Sarah to do even more.”
Now, she’ll be expected to not just replicate the success from her debut but improve on it. With Paige Bueckers off to the WNBA, Strong will likely be the Huskies’ go-to player and the first name on every opponent’s scouting report. Expectations for her sophomore season are high but not unrealistic.
“We probably saw most of what Sarah has to offer last year in the NCAA Tournament,” Auriemma said. “I think the impact is going to be pretty significant, even more so than last year.”
Strong won’t improve by adding to or improving a certain aspect of her game — she can already do pretty much everything on the court. Instead, it’ll be more about how and where she plays.
For as much success as Strong had last season, she wasn’t always as aggressive or assertive as she could’ve been, which is to be expected from a freshman. But with a year now under her belt, she believes she’ll be more comfortable leading the way.
“I feel like just being more vocal and just being more confident, not going into the games — I’m not gonna say scared — but nervous,” Strong said. “I've been there before, so I just know what to expect.”
She flipped that switch quickly. The change was apparent from the moment she returned for summer workouts in June.
“Remember the way Sarah was in that last game? She's way better,” Auriemma said at the time. ““Just more aggressive, more assertive, more ‘If I don't like the way things are going, I’m gonna take over.’”
That continued into fall workouts and the start of official practices as well.
“She's in better shape than she was because she knows more. She is more confident because she's already done it. She’s even more assertive than she was,” Auriemma said. “Whatever words you want to use, it's all evident. So compared to last year's first week of practice, it’s completely different.”
That’s not to say there aren’t areas in which Strong can improve.
Before she arrived on campus, Auriemma compared her to Kerry Bascom, who led the Huskies to their first Final Four in 1991, because of her versatility.
“Nobody, I think, could ever say ‘[Bascom] played this position’ because she didn't have one. Those are the types of kids that I think today are exceptionally successful,” he said. “[Strong is] that kind of kid. I can put her anywhere.”
Despite that, UConn exclusively deployed Strong in the paint as a freshman — sometimes even as the lone big on the floor in a small-ball lineup. But now with the frontcourt now well-stocked with returners Ice Brady, Jana El Alfy and a healthy Ayanna Patterson along with Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams, the Huskies can use Strong more freely.
So far, UConn has designed her as a “hybrid”, meaning she works with both guards and bigs during practice. Since Strong already has plenty of experience in the frontcourt, she’s tried to add more backcourt knowledge and skills.
“I've been working on dribble pull ups, more guard stuff, learning the plays from the guards’ perspective,” she said.
Defensively, Strong will have more on her shoulders, too. While Bueckers is best known for her offensive prowess, she was a valuable piece of UConn’s defense because she could defend most other players on the court. Auriemma wants Strong to take up that mantle now.
“Defensively, I think she's got a whole ‘nother level and you'll see that,” he said. “The last couple years, we used Paige as everywhere — guard big guys, guard guards. I think this year, Sarah could be that person. She’ll be guarding the point guard, she’ll be guarding the center, she’ll be everywhere on the floor.”
So how will Strong improve as a sophomore? Expect her to play with more confidence, be more assertive and do so from more spots on the floor. It may not sound like much but considering what she did as a freshman, even small improvements could help turn Strong into the best player in the country.
“They say that the biggest jump you make in college is between freshman and sophomore year,” Auriemma said. “It's just continue to be what you've been. Continue to do what you did, keep building on what you did last year.”
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