"She doesn't think much when she plays": Paige Bueckers lauds 18 year-old Sarah Strong for carrying UConn to Louisville triumph

As Paige Bueckers struggled from the floor, 18 year-old freshman Sarah Strong led the No. 2 UConn Huskies to a 85-52 win over No. 22 Louisville Cardinals. Strong scored 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting (3 of 5 from the 3-point line) alongside eight rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

After the game, Paige Bueckers, who scored eight points (2 of 11 shooting) and 10 rebounds, praised Strong's ability to keep things simple on the court.

"She doesn’t think much when she plays, she just reacts," Bueckers said in the post-game interview.

In her first eight college basketball games, Sarah Strong has solidified herself as a legitimate offensive unit in Geno Auriemma’s squad. The top high school recruit in the 2024 class constantly battled double teams in the paint while hitting timely jumpers from beyond the arc.

16 of Strong's game-high 21 points came in the first half, helping UConn mount a significant 49-24 lead. Her game-high seven rebounds also helped the Huskies outrebound Cardinals 34 to 13. It was the most efficient outing of her college career.

Geno Auriemma sees hints of Breanna Stewart in Sarah Strong

Before leading UConn against Louisville, Sarah Strong posted 22 points against Holy Cross for her highest-scoring game. The performance sparked a Breanna Stewart comparison from coach Geno Auriemma.

The 11-time NCAA championship coach claimed that Strong has a rare basketball talent, one that he saw in Breanna Stewart’s initial days with the program in 2012. However, Auriemma also ensured that expectations around Strong remained realistic. He shed light on the eventual struggles players face as a freshman due to a learning curve.

"I remember Stewie had a November and kind of mid-December blowout where she was just the best player in the country," Auriemma said in the post-game interview. (26:40) "There's usually a learning curve and I'm sure that there will be some things that will pop up in the next month."

Sarah Strong is averaging 15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks, leading UConn in swats, boards and steals.

Breanna Stewart averaged 13.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in her freshman year. She posted three 20-point games in her first four contests but only touched the mark once between January to March.