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Lisa Leslie hailed Sarah Strong following her rise to stardom during her freshman year with the Connecticut Huskies.
On the Just Women’s Sports podcast on Friday, Leslie showered Strong with some glowing praise (18:53):
“Listen, Sarah Strong, she’s got it! She’s just dynamite. I love the fact that she was able to man the paint against USC. It was incredible that they did not continue to attack her. She really moved those post players out to like short jumpers and things like that.
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“I feel like Sarah Strong, no pun intended, will play really strong on the inside and be able to have the body and the strength to push Lauren Betts out.”
Strong and the Huskies beat Lauren Betts and the Bruins in their Final Four game on Friday, 85-51, thanks to a stellar performance from Strong. The 19-year-old recorded 22 points, two assists and eight rebounds to lead her team to victory.
Paige Bueckers, who has been all the rage during March Madness, was also key, recording 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. Apart from Strong, Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, none of the other Huskies scored more than nine points.
Strong’s freshman season has been solid. She has made 38 appearances for the Huskies and averaged 16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. The 19-year-old has been solid on both ends of the floor and will likely make a ton of noise during the rest of her time in college.
“So Tough”: Angel Reese praises UConn Freshman Sarah Strong following win over Texas
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese couldn’t help but acknowledge Sarah Strong’s stellar performance against the UCLA Bruins. Strong recorded a team-high 22 points, while shooting 69% from the field and 66% from 3-point range to lead her team to victory.
Following the game, Angel Reese took to X and dropped a four-word reaction for Strong’s performance:
“Sarah Strong so tough!” wrote Reese.
Strong has been amazing for UConn throughout the tournament stage. She first recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds in the first round. She then put up an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead UConn over the Sooners during their Sweet 16 game.
However, her best performance came against USC. She dropped 22 points, 17 rebounds, and four assists against them, while shooting 61.5% from the field. After defeating the Bruins, Strong and Co. will now face South Carolina in the championship game on Tuesday.
