Sarah Strong performed phenomenally in her first-ever national championship game. The freshman scored 24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two assists, making more than 65% of her attempts. She was the top scorer of the game, leading the Huskies to their 12th NCAA title.
Her mother, Allison Feaster, congratulated the forward by posting a brief video of confetti in the Amalie Arena. She also had a proud, faith-filled reaction, which she communicated in four words.
"Won't. He. Do. It..!?!?" she wrote.

Feaster has had a monumental impact on Sarah Strong's overall game and mindset. The current VP of team operations and organizational growth for the NBA's Boston Celtics played college ball for Harvard. She also played in the WNBA for a decade, lacing up for the Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks and Charlotte Sting. She also played overseas.
"She has been a really big influence on me," Strong said about Allison Feaster last week. "She's played where I want to play and done what I want to do. She’s always been there for me. Both my parents have. They really help me through everything - they walk me through everything."
Sarah Strong could have played for South Carolina
The UConn freshman, before her decision to play for Geno Auriemma, was heavily recruited by Dawn Staley and her staff. The pursuit came behind Strong's stature as the top recruit in the 2024 talent class.
However, another factor was that Staley was once teammates with Allison Feaster during their time with the Charlotte Sting. Since Strong chose the Huskies despite deep family ties with the South Carolina leader, Staley has since then joked about the instance several times.
"As far as Allison, I don't know how we don't get Sarah Strong, right?" she said in February. "And I haven't talked to Allison since. No, I'm kidding!"
On the other hand, Geno Auriemma spotted Strong's caliber early and also pitched her talent to the Team USA's U-15 representatives.
"One of the things that I think helped us was we saw Sarah when no one else knew who she was," he said.
"I remember calling USA basketball when she was a sophomore, and I said 'Hey, you guys have this thing with 15-Under's... you're missing a kid on the list.'"
Sarah Strong faced Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks twice this season. Like the title game, she posted a double-double in her debut against South Carolina, posting 16 points and 13 rebounds on 60.0% shooting.
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