“Not scared to mess up”: UConn freshman Sarah Strong “embraces” Geno Auriemma’s high expectations

UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said that he wanted freshman Sarah Strong to act like an All-American player in an interview last week. The coach's comments came after Strong's two-game stretch against Holy Cross and Louisville where she spearheaded the Huskies offense. Strong also earned Big East Player of the Week and conference Freshman of the Week honors.

Strong addressed Auriemma's remarks while talking to the media on Friday. The forward said that she tries to embrace the expectations and has grown to play worry-free basketball.

"Yeah, I try to embrace it every practice, every game," Strong said (2:59). "Kind of like every time I step on the court and just getting more comfortable with it as I grow."

"I definitely do, I say I'm more confident, not scared to mess up or focus on my mistakes. I kind of forget and just try to keep playing."

Sarah Strong's performances have been nothing short of her top-5 stature in the 2024 recruiting pool. She is averaging 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks across her first 11 contests.

The freshman has scored in double digits in all of her games yet and touched the 20-point mark four times. Her latest outing against the Iowa State Cyclones was her career-best, 29 points and nine rebounds on over 55% shooting from the 3-point line.

Sarah Strong can solidify herself as the future of UConn in the coming game

Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies are heading toward their biggest matchup of the season yet. They face the USC Trojans at Galen Center on Saturday. The excitement around the highly anticipated matchup comes behind the two teams' star guards, Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins. It is a must-win game for both teams.

Sarah Strong's performance in the contest can be instrumental. In case she continues to build on her recent outing against Iowa State, it could solidify her as the face of UConn for the coming years. However, as Bueckers battles Watkins, Strong will have to maneuver a strong opponent in Kiki Iriafen. Both teams enter behind a similar 11-1 record, with their only loss coming from Notre Dame.

The Saturday game can potentially be the last matchup between Bueckers and Watkins on the Division I stage. Bueckers is assumed to enter the WNBA next season. Watkins will be draft-eligible in 2027.