Sarah Strong's rise has been rapid and impossible to ignore.

The UConn sophomore has added another achievement to her growing résumé after being named the 2025 USA Basketball 3x3 Female Athlete of the Year.

USA Basketball announced the recognition on X. The 19-year-old earned the honor after a dominant performance at the 2025 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She averaged 7.6 points and led the tournament with 7.6 rebounds per game in just 5 games.

"I like the pace. It's really fast. It takes a while to get used to but I like the quick changes from offense to defense", she said about the 3x3 format.

She was also a part of the 2025 USA 3x3 Women’s National Team in June. She immediately made her presence felt alongside Morgan Maly, Mikaylah Williams and Sahara Williams. The group powered to a 4-1, before falling to the host nation in the quarterfinals.

Other nominees for the award included Allisha Gray and Naz Hillmon who brought the gold medal for USA in the 2025 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup. But this moment only belonged to Strong.

Still early in her career, Strong has already built one of the most impressive 3x3 résumés in USA Basketball’s pipeline. Her 2025 Athlete of the Year honor reflects what USA Basketball has developed over four summers — a player whose skill set translates from the NCAA to international competition.

From a national title to international honors

Just weeks after winning the 2025 national championship with UConn, Strong joined the USA roster. The then freshman led the Big East in FG% with 58.6 %.

Her international honor perfectly mirrors her UConn journey so far as the leading scorer. Wit her ability to ability to control the glass, score through contact and defend multiple positions, UConn still stands undefeated at 15-0 this season.

In her second season as a Husky, she's averaging 18.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists with 4 double-doubles recorded and a game high of 29 points.

Sarah Strong is also one of the leading contenders for NPOY this year. Just as a teenager, she has already established herself as a pillar of USA Basketball’s present and future.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu