'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
No. 2 UConn Huskies freshman Sarah Strong has been an integral part of the Huskies' roster as they secured the National Championship after beating No. 1 South Carolina 82-59 on Sunday.
The 6-foot-2 forward played 37 minutes and recorded a double double, scoring 24 points on 66.6% shooting, including 2-of-3 from the 3-point line. She also converted both shots from the charity stripe and had 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three rebounds.
Trending
Her performance in the finals got her praise from 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant:
"Azzi is just surgical. Paige is just an all around monster.…. Sarah strong, my goodness, how did u get so good so early??? Great bump on espn," Durant tweeted.
Strong, who started her high school basketball career at Fuquay-Varina High School in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, averaged a double double, with 25.0 points and 19.0 rebounds.
In her sophomore year, Strong moved to Grace Christian School in Sanford, North Carolina. In three seasons at Grace Christian, she led them to a 91-4 record and won three consecutive NCISAA state titles.
Sarah Strong spent her senior year at Grace Christian School in Fuquay Varina, NC and averaged a double double with 21.0 points, 16.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game in 2023–24. Furthermore, she won the North Carolina Miss Basketball award in 2023 and 2024.
The 2024 McDonald's All-American also won the prestigious 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year, becoming the first player from North Carolina to do so. The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024, according to ESPN, also had offers from top programs, including Duke and North Carolina.
Who are Sarah Strong's parents, Allison Feaster and Danny Strong?
Sarah Strong, the daughter of Los Angeles Sparks forward Allison Feaster and NC State college basketball player Danny Strong, was born on Feb. 3, 2006, in Madrid, Spain. Both her parents are fluent in Spanish, as the family spent 10 years in Spain.
Feaster started her WNBA career in 1998, playing for the Sparks, before moving to the Charlotte Sting, where she played until 2006. She played her final WNBA season at the Indiana Fever in 2008. Feaster now works as a vice-president of team operations and organizational growth at the Boston Celtics.
Her father, Danny Strong, played for two seasons at NC State from 1995 to 1997, before moving to Europe, where he played basketball for 15 seasons.
