UConn's Sarah Strong posts wholesome picture with Arianna Roberson for Duke star's special day

UConn's freshman Sarah Strong wished Duke Blue Devils center Arianna Roberson on her birthday.

Strong posted a selfie with the blue blood school's player on her Instagram story, where Roberson is seen hugging the Huskies freshman in front of a food outlet.

"Happy Birthday Ari," Strong's story read.

Strong's birthday story for Arianna Roberson

Strong and Roberson know each other from their Team USA stints before beginning their college careers. Their latest partnership came in August 2024 for the 3x3 FIBA U18 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.

Both college freshmen helped the USA post a flawless gold medal run. They won their first four contests with a double-digit scoring difference before beating Spain (quarterfinal), China (semifinal) and Japan in the final.

Sarah Strong, who had garnered two gold medals from the event earlier, posted multiple digit-scoring games in her third medal run. She was also named to the Nike Hoop Summit roster at the time.

Arianna Roberson also had a gold medal with the U18 team, which she won in the 2024 summer. Moreover, alongside the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit, she had the experience of competing against some of the best players in the nation through her participation in several 3x3 and 5x5 national team trials.

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Sarah Strong doesn't want to pressure herself

As Paige Bueckers struggled offensively earlier in December, Sarah Strong became the UConn Huskies leader for games against Louisville and Holy Cross. During that time, Geno Auriemma urged the freshman to act like an All-American player and continue to believe in her abilities.

Strong acknowledged the coach's comments before Christmas break, saying that she's trying to welcome the spotlight and is already playing worry-free basketball.

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

"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 is averaging 17.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks across her first 14 contests. She's shooting more than 55% from the field and been the Huskies game-high scorer for multiple contests.