As Geno Auriemma kept pushing Sarah Strong to own her leadership all season, he couldn’t help but playfully call her out once again after guiding UConn to yet another Elite Eight milestone.

After Friday’s game at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, the UConn coach was caught bantering about Sarah Strong's performance in the Huskies 63-42 win in the Sweet 16.

When he was asked what it’s like coaching her, the 72-year-old coach said, "Well, she just played 40-39 minutes and whatever, and she must have asked for a sub like five times, and I said no. She knows how good she is, and she knows that she can be better."

Strong led the way with 21 points and 11 boards on the night.

The coach revealed that he found it difficult to get upset with Strong.

"You just kind of enjoy watching her play and then give her some guidance and kind of let her do the rest. And that’s exactly what she did," said Auriemma.

After a slow start, she got into her rhythm in the second quarter. She hit 4 shots in a row in just 2 minutes and scored 11 points in a little over 6 minutes.

From there, she was unstoppable. Her shots were hard to defend, and she kept making plays on both ends. Even with her team up by more than 20 points, she kept playing with the same intensity.

Later, the moment shifted when the interviewer pointed out Sarah Strong’s mother, Allison Feaster, and mentioned that after speaking with her, she felt Sarah needed to be more assertive in the second half and was on the coach’s side. 

The veteran coach then joked, teasing Sarah Strong, and said, "Everybody's on my side except her. I love her mom. We gang up on her [Sarah] as much as we can, and it doesn't work."

Despite the jokes, it’s clear he cares about the star Sophomore, and she also gave him credit for helping her through her slow start.

Geno Auriemma’s Message Fuels UConn’s Comeback Win

After the Friday win, Sarah Strong told ESPN what coach Geno Auriemma told the UConn Huskies after a tricky first quarter.

“Just take a breath,” Strong said. “Pretty much just take a breath and get settled."

UConn was down 12-11 after the first quarter, but a layup by Blanca Quinonez at the start of the second quarter sparked an 8-0 run. North Carolina cut it to three late in the half, but UConn answered with a five-point run to close strong before halftime.

In the first half, Strong also had 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, while Quinonez scored 9 points. Meanwhile, Azzi Fudd was limited to just 2 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists, as North Carolina held UConn to 36% shooting.

UConn will now face rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball in the Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon for a spot in the Final Four in Phoenix.

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma