UConn HC Geno Auriemma seems optimistic on 18 year old Sarah Strong despite Notre Dame upset

Earlier on Thursday, the UConn Huskies succumbed to a 79-68 defeat by the surging Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It was a tough game for coach Geno Auriemma, as he saw his Huskies shoot 3-for-16 from the three-point area. But there were still some bright spots in the defeat, highlighted by freshman Sarah Strong.

Strong delivered a respectable outing of 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block to supplement fourth-year star Paige Bueckers' performance. Her stability despite being a freshman is something that Auriemma recognized in the post-game press conference.

UCTV Sports reported that the 11-time national champion coach said:

"This is the first time in her career that she's faced an environment like this and she's only going to get better and better. Her poise is pretty unique for a freshman."

It seems as though Auriemma is staying positive on his budding standout even with a difficult loss to Notre Dame. After all, Strong is having a remarkable first-year campaign with averages of 16.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Not to mention, the 6-foot-2 stalwart was also named as both the Big East player and freshman of the week three days ago.

With a new weapon in Strong at his disposal, Auriemma can further develop her skills and be one of the driving forces for UConn's bid to reclaim the national championship they last won eight years ago in 2016.

Now at the heels of conference play starting soon, the 8-1 UConn Huskies will go against the Georgetown Hoyas next on Sunday, in their homecourt, to try and get back on the win column.

Paige Bueckers praised Sarah Strong after the game

In what could possibly be her final year before Bueckers declares for the 2025 WNBA Draft, she tried her best to take UConn to the win with 25 markers, three boards, two dimes and two swipes.

Even with the loss, Bueckers still believes that she and the rest of the team tried their hardest — especially Strong. During the post-game presser, Bueckers opened up about her thoughts on the freshman, saying:

"Sarah’s very consistent, she plays really hard," UCTV Sports reports that Bueckers stated.

This may be a huge loss on the part of UConn, but they can stay optimistic by adjusting their next big games coming up. As Strong continues to experience the collegiate level, the Huskies can expect her to take the next step in her game sooner than later.