Growing up in Spain, Sarah Strong’s first introduction to the sport came from her mother, Allison Feaster. Feaster, a former Harvard standout, was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 1998 with the fifth pick, went on to become an All-Star in ’04 and played overseas in France, Portugal, Italy and Spain. Strong remembers going to his mother’s practices and watching her work on the hardwood, when he fell in love with the sport. “He would have been very happy,” Strong told us of Zoom in May. “Maybe that was his biggest thing. Just power to protect, hustle and [being] aggressive. He [was] wow.”
Sports have always been a part of Strong’s life—he even qualified for the same team as his mother—but it wasn’t until he moved to the United States in fifth grade that he began to take his game to the next level where the level of competition is high.
“The talent level and the skill level is a lot different here, so it’s a little bit tougher. I started getting results from it, and then I said, okay, let me lock it,” he said. Outside the court, Strong also had to deal with the change that comes with moving from another country, whether it was the cultural adjustment – in Spain, he would watch a lot of American films and he was nervous about facing the bullies at school like what he saw in the movies – or the language barrier. Strong, who speaks Spanish, initially had trouble learning English.
He has come a long way since then. A five-star recruit and the No. 1 in the ESPNW 100 in the class of 2024, Strong is an undeniable talent with an all-around game—at 6-2, he uses his strength and size to his advantage, whether he’s holding his own in the post, using his smooth handles to drive the rim or rely in his tough court vision to deliver for his teammates. The 2023-24 Gatorade North Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year averaged a double-double at Grace Christian School (NC) while maintaining a 3.68 GPA.
Strong, who would watch highlights of Maya Moore—her favorite player—and Breanna Stewart, had always dreamed of attending UConn. However, when it came time to make his final decision, the final thing had nothing to do with the place, he says, but rather, what he felt inside. He says: “It has always been a dream school. “I just felt it in my heart, I talked to my family. I prayed about it.”
At UConn, Strong wants to elevate his game and “get used to the college speed” and physical level—from being in shape to being more efficient and a consistent shooter. She will join a Huskies team that recently lost standout Aaliyah Edwards to the 2024 WNBA Draft but will see the return of one of the top generals in college hoops, Paige Bueckers. The pairing already has fans in Storrs excited about the future. You have the power to bring the same power.
He says: “We are trying to win.” “They haven’t won the title for a while, so it’s a plan for the next four years. I’m very happy to play with everyone and be trained by the coaching staff.”
Photos by Luke Schlaifer.
