Iowa fans walked into the Champions Classic wondering why UConn was such a big favorite. They didn’t wonder for long. The Huskies rolled 90–64 and showed they’re still loaded even after Paige Bueckers left for the WNBA. And on Saturday night, one current UConn star topped a former Husky legend.

That moment came fast, and it came from Sarah Strong. ESPN’s Insights team posted on X that she’d just recorded her 21st career 20-point game, breaking her tie with Napheesa Collier for the fifth-most by a UConn player in their first two seasons since 2000. And the wild part? She’s only 11 games into her sophomore year.

Only three players now sit above her on that list: Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Passing Collier and landing just behind that trio puts her on a track few UConn players have ever reached this quickly.

Strong set the tone early. She missed three of her first four shots, then shifted gears and controlled the game. She hit eight of her next nine and kept the ball clean. By halftime, the 6-foot-2 sophomore had nearly half of UConn’s points and half of its 10 steals.

She added just one three after the break but still closed with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six steals, driving UConn on both ends.

That performance lands even harder considering what she’s been building. A month ago, Strong was named to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund Servant Leader Award honoree list, one of 65 players recognized nationwide. 

She entered the season as only the third UConn freshman to earn WBCA All-American honors, joining Maya Moore and Paige Bueckers, after helping the Huskies sweep the Big East and capture a national title. Now she’s stacking nights that match that trajectory.

Sarah Strong’s Rise Is Getting Harder to Ignore 

What’s most impressive about Sarah Strong is how well-rounded her game already is. Wednesday’s burst against Marquette, nine straight makes after an 0-for-3 start, only set the stage for what she showed again on Saturday.

Against Louisville, that same calm, controlled dominance returned. Geno Auriemma said Strong plays with an “aura,” never rushing, never second-guessing, almost as if the game moves through her. Loose balls, tough angles, everything just finds her hands.

Auriemma praised her curiosity, her preparation, and the way she lifts teammates while still growing herself. And with performances like these stacking up, Strong looks less like a promising sophomore and more like the Huskies’ next inevitable superstar.

Written by

Ishika Ghosh

Edited by

Joyita Das