Uconn Sarah Strong striker shows that he is another miracle of the university basketball

Tampa, Florida – Sarah Strong from the University of Connecticut is the best first -year student in university basketball – men or women. This could seem blasphemous in the season by which everyone said that the distinction belonged to the prince of the striker Cooper Flagg.

But while Duke was eliminated from the men’s tournament on Saturday, a 24-point 15-point performance against southern Carolina on Sunday, he helped raise Uconn to victory 82-59 and national championships.

In 40 seasons, Geno Aurimmy as a Huscus coach, Uconn had several well -known first -year students. Thanks to the Strong performance not only on Sunday, but in the entire tournament and the Uconn season, they left fingerprints throughout the school and the history of the tournament.

She became the first first 12 months student in history with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the national title game. Strong was the third first 12 months student with 20 points each in the national semi -final and the national match for the championship. She became the first first 12 months student in Uconn’s history with 4 20-point matches in a single NCAA tournament and the first first 12 months student of Uconn with three easy 20-point matches in the tournament.

She also set a record of points in a single NCAA tournament.

Paige Bueckers, who won its first national championship on Sunday, is clearly the star of Uconn. Azzi Fudd gives the tone to the team. But Strong was the Uconn Everything engine this season – bouncing with revenge, shooting him if mandatory and playing in a strangling defense for the best player of the opponent.

Auriemma said that he saw it strongly when he watched her as the tenth grader.

“When I saw Sarah played in high school, in the 10th grade, I couldn’t think of a woman’s player to compare her,” said Auriemma. “I said,” She is Charles Barkley. ” I said, “It is great that the game is playing.

“I just think that when you have a child who is so young-he knows the game so well and has the ability, regardless of the situation on the pitch, regardless of what part of the court, no matter what he calls, it has the opportunity to do this-it is very rare at professional basketball players, and even more so 19-year-old first year student.”

In the season, critics and a few coaches complained to a coach from South Karolina Dawn Staley for packing their team from All-Americans McDonald’s. Strong to All-American South Karolina didn’t get. She was the best recruit in school 2024.

In Sunday’s defeat for southern Carolina, a Sunday of Sunday appeared, when the difference between an actual first -year and wonderful student became visible.

The moment took place with 39 seconds in the third quarter, Uconn leads 59-40. A talented first -year student in Southern Carolina, Joyce Edwards, fouled strong and put her on the line. When Edwards left the game, clearly frustrated, strong – normally stoic – he sank two fouls coldly. At that moment, Strong already had 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Then the distinction became visible: Edwards was an actual first 12 months student. Strong is wonderful.

She grew up in the game and around him. Mother Strong, Feaster Allison, is the vice chairman for team operations and organizational development in Boston Celtics. Feaster was a Harvard star and played WNBA. Father Strong, Danny Strong, played collegially in the state of North Carolina and abroad for 15 years.

During the tournament, colleagues from the Strong team consistently described her as a player who is smart and mature outside her years. They call her an excellent player who avoids the ups and falls.

She liked the unbelievable season of the first 12 months, and her statistics line screams: Big East Freshman of the Year. Associated Press the second ALL-American team. Medium 16 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 thefts and 1.6 blocks per game.

Strong is strength.

When Feaster watched his daughter on the stage of the championship on Sunday, I asked her about the source of strongholds.

Feaster said he was going beyond basketball.

“I think it’s faith,” she said. “I think it is faith in this process, faith in his purpose. God has put her here for some reason. She is who she is and I am simply grateful.”

Asked how she felt watching her daughter experiences the moment of the championship, Feaster said: “The only emotion I have is simply pure gratitude for all this. You don’t reach this point, without going through some things and many victims, a lot of fights, a lot of conversations, a lot of joy and a lot of pain.”

When Father Strong observed the fall of confetti, he thought of all the years of sacrifice, the exertions by which his daughter put in.

“It took a lot of prayer, a lot of time and supervising the whole process,” said Danny Strong. “She knew that she wanted to be from the sixth grade there. It was in her heart. I am definitely glad that we had the opportunity to be here and on stage, as it is now.”

Strong journey is just starting and can probably be continued in Uconn. Unlike Flagga, which is to depart Duke after one season to the NBA, Strong will probably spend the next three years in Uconn competing for the championship and maybe developing in the next super -star of the program.

I asked Danny Strong what his expectations for his 19-year-old daughter.

“Be humble, stay hungry, continue working and continue working until you are ready to hang your shoes,” he said. “No matter what you do, no matter what you achieve, or grateful, stay praying and work hard. That’s all.”

He almost guaranteed that the next three years Strong can be spent in Storrs in Connecticut.

“Oh yes, definitely,” he said. “We brought her up to be a closed and loyal person. When you start something, you’ll end up. We won’t jump and do all these crazy things.”

This season was crazy enough. Their daughter is the best first -year student in university basketball. Period.

And now he is the country’s champion.