The basketball world was pretty sure Sarah Strong was going to be a star before she ever hit the court for UConn. She was the No. 1 ranked player in her class and a Day 1 starter for one of the best teams in the country. She absolutely delivered in the hype, averaging 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Strong instantly became the perfect complement to Paige Bueckers with her versatile, inside-out game on offense and her ability to shut things down at the other end of the floor. She'll have an opportunity to continue making a name for herself. in the NCAA Tournament as UConn, the No. 2 seed in the Spokane region, looks to make a run at a national championship.
Strong clearly has the WNBA in her future. But she'll have a few more chances at a national championship before then.
Sarah Strong will be eligible for the 2028 WNBA Draft
Per the WNBA CBA, to be elgible for the draft, a player must be four years removed from high school, or three years removed and over the age of 22 by Dec. 31 of the year of the draft. Her birthday is Feb. 3, 2006, which means she'll have three more years of college eligibility before she can move to the next level.
The 2028 WNBA Draft is already shaping up to be a special one with Syla Swords, Mikayla Blakes, Joyce Edwards and others joining Strong.
Where could Sarah Strong land in the 2028 WNBA Draft?
Three years is a lot of time for a player's draft stock to change but if she maintains her current trajectory she'd almost certainly be a top-three pick and a strong candidate to go No. 1. Justin Carter recently prepared a hypothetical mock draft if every current college player was eligible. In that thought exercise, he had Strong going No. 4, behind only Juju Watkins, Lauren Betts and Paige Bueckers.:
"Freshman Sarah Strong looks to be the next great UConn Husky after averaging 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in her first season in Storrs. She has the strength to finish inside, but also enough touch on her shots to slip outside and knock down 3s, as she made 1.4 per game on 36.5 percent shooting this past season."
There are still plenty of things to be improved in her game, including the potential to become completely elite from beyond the arc and grow into a primary offensive hub once Bueckers is gone. But Strong is a special basketball player with a special future.