UConn's Sarah Strong is women's hoops' top freshman -- and a soon-to-be-star - ESPN

Before Sarah Strong had played a game for the UConn Huskies, coach Geno Auriemma raved over the summer, comparing Strong to the school's first All-American, Kerry Bascom, as a positionless star. He raised eyebrows when he described Strong as a player who would change the trajectory of the UConn program and was «probably as impressive as any freshman that we've had in a long, long time.»

Over the first six weeks of the season, Strong has lived up to the hype. She hasn't merely emerged as the comfortable front-runner in the freshman-of-the-year conversation, she's quickly establishing herself as one of the best players in the country. She's averaging 17.3 points, second for the No. 4 Huskies behind Paige Bueckers, along with a team-best 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks. She's doing all of that while shooting 56% from the field (including 76.9% at the rim) and sinking 36.5% of her 3-pointers. Her 23 triples are tied for most on the team.

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«I don't know if you can put it into words,» said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly, who watched Strong score 29 points against his squad Tuesday, including as many points as his entire roster in the third quarter (17). «She was so good. There's certain people, and Geno's had them over the years I think, that the game looks really easy and it just pisses you off,» he said with a laugh.

After her college debut, Auriemma said Strong would need to play like an All-American for the Huskies to win their first national championship since 2016. Those expectations seemed lofty at the time but within the realm of possibility now. Eleven games into her career, she is already eliciting comparisons to program greats Breanna Stewart