Despite defeat, Sarah Strong showed she’s ready for primetime

“It hurts to lose, I definitely don’t like losing. I don’t know — I’m just kind of upset right now at the game and the way it ended,” Strong said, her voice trailing off.

Less than an hour before, Strong had stepped up to the free throw line after being fouled by USC guard JuJu Watkins while shooting a 3-pointer. With the Huskies down 72-69, Strong had the chance to tie the game and put the Huskies in a position to force overtime.

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The nation’s top recruit stepped to the line and coolly sunk the first free throw, prompting anxious applause from an arena packed with UConn fans. The crowd held its collective breath as Strong took her second free throw. This time, it rattled out of the basket, forcing Strong to intentionally miss the third free throw in hopes of a UConn put-back off the boards.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, USC gained possession of the basketball and was able to run down the remaining seconds of the game to secure the victory.

“Just to be clear, that game was not won or lost with those three free throws,” UConn senior Paige Bueckers told reporters postgame. “Sarah was a huge part of that second half comeback and the reason we were even in the game. But for her to continue to show up on this stage and continue to play as well — she has seemed to affect the game in so many different ways, whether it be rebounding, defending, assisting, scoring. But, yeah, I don’t want people to get the wrong impression that she didn’t impact this game tremendously, in a very positive way. This game was not decided in the last minute with those free throws.”

Indeed, had it not been for Strong, the Huskies would have never been in the position to win the game in the first place. UConn started the game sluggish, ceding a 9-0 run to the Trojans out of the gate. They looked out of sorts from tip-off, struggling on defensive assignments and lacking discipline on the offensive end. The Huskies’ poor start, combined with red-hot shooting from USC guard JuJu Watkins, sent them to the locker room down 13 at halftime.

The second half again started slow for UConn, as the Trojans’ lead ballooned to 18 at the 7:35 mark of the third quarter. The Huskies clawed back into the game, though, in large part due to the dynamic play of Strong. In addition to her 22 points, she contributed 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block. Her relentless play put the Huskies in the position to win and, had the ball bounced a bit differently, she could have been the reason UConn lived another day in overtime.

“Sarah Strong is going to make a lot more game winning shots than she ever misses,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told reporters postgame. “And when you win, you always have to think about the other side. That kid is so good and, you know, she had a chance to tie it. I think we all should know what a great player she is, and the future is incredibly bright.”

Strong’s elite performance on Saturday is consistent with her play all season long. Nationally, Strong ranks in the top 10 in 2-point shooting percentage, player efficiency rating (PER) and win shares, and has put the nation’s coaches on notice. Earlier this month, she scored 29 points in a masterclass against Iowa State that left head coach Bill Fennelly awestruck.

“I don’t know if you can put it into words,” Fennelly said. “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.

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Auriemma has compared Sarah Strong’s early career to four-time NCAA Tournament champion Breanna Stewart‘s freshman season, and has indicated he believes she’s only just scratching the surface of her tremendous potential. Before the season began he stated that Strong has the potential to significantly change the trajectory of the UConn program. On Saturday evening, by delivering when the lights were brightest, she showed the nation why.

“Some people run from the flame, and other kids run to it,” Auriemma said postgame. “[Sarah] wants to be in that situation, she relishes that situation. Nobody’s more disappointed than she is right now in that moment. But I would put her in that moment every single game for the rest of the season, and have confidence that she’s going to come through.”