Though UConn won the home game against the Marquette Golden Eagles with 89-53, Coach Geno Auriemma was not satisfied with sophomore Sarah Strong's performance.

Interestingly, Strong had the second-highest point performance (22 points) with a season high of 6 turnovers.

However, post the game on 12th December, Geno Auriemma was asked for his assessment of Strong's performance, and he said, “I think sometimes she [Sarah Strong] tries too hard to make a play for somebody else. Most of the time she gets it right, and sometimes she tries too hard to make things be there that aren’t there.”

Auriemma may have said so, as Sarah Strong struggled at the start with a 0 from 3 three from the field, almost allowing Marquette to get comfortable. But it was not long before she settled in and shot 75% from the field, making 3 out of 4 threes attempted.

The No. 1 seed won, extending their streak to 11-0. Sarah Strong came out top as the points leader for the 6th time this season with Azzi Fudd following at 14 points, and Serah Williams adding 11.

As a starter, Strong also filled her box with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in 25 minutes played.

As a part of the winning roster in the 2024-25 season, Sarah Strong is one of the best players UConn has right now, scoring an average of 17.9 points per game, post the Paige Bueckers era.

Though Sarah Strong did struggle in the game, Auriemma's comments may have something to do with his coaching style.

Sarah Strong's Coach Geno Auriemma, has High Standards

Geno Auriemma’s legacy as one of the most winningest coach of in the NCAA make his demands for perfection justified.

“We’re trying to concentrate really, really hard on taking some things away. In today’s world, you have to be really, really good defensively, defending the 3-point line, and I think that’s something that we’re constantly, constantly working on. That’s something that I’m never satisfied with, ” Auriemma said.

One thing he made clear in the conference was how he 'holds his entire team to an elite standard'.

UConn is set for its next match against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Will Sarah Strong be able to match Coach Geno Auriemma's standards? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu