Sarah Strong could play in the WNBA right now — and be very good

• Women's College Basketball

Despite not being Draft eligible until 2028, UConn’s Sarah Strong could be drafted No. 1 overall right now.

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Sarah Strong was projected to be a good college basketball player, entering her freshman season at UConn as the No. 1-ranked recruit of the 2024 class. Yet, in just one full season and a handful of games to open her second, it’s becoming clear that Strong may already be one of the best basketball players of her generation.

UConn is used to sending generational basketball players out into the world of professional hoops — Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers and several other Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers have come out of Storrs. While Strong is another name on a long list of Geno Auriemma products, one thing that stands out currently is her raw talent. If the WNBA didn’t have such strict rules on draft eligibility, Strong would be good enough to declare for the 2026 WNBA draft and probably be the undisputed No. 1 overall prospect.

Dallas fans will unfortunately have to live without Strong — for now, anyway. WNBA rules currently state that an NCAA draft prospect needs to 1) graduate with a college degree and 2) be turning 22 years old in the calendar year that their draft is being held in. Even if Strong were able to get a three-year degree, she was born in 2006, meaning she won’t turn 22 until 2028 and therefore cannot be drafted until the 2028 WNBA Draft.

All-Around Juggernaut

Strong is quickly earning the nickname “baby GOAT,” four games into her sophomore season. In a dominant 100-68 win against Ohio State earlier in the week, Strong scored a game-high 29 points. Still, it was her all-around stat sheet that impressed the women’s basketball community. Adding to her 29 points, Strong grabbed 13 rebounds, made 7 assists, and managed to do so without committing a single turnover. She also grabbed 5 steals, blocked 3 shots, and shot 70.6% (12-17) from the field.

This season so far, she is averaging 20.5 points per contest and has a true shooting percentage of 65.7%. In two out of four games played so far, she’s shot 70% from the field, resulting in 20+ points scored. She’s shot over 50% from the field in every game and has scored 10+ points in each one as well.

While being incredibly skilled in just one area of the game can make you a star in the sport, Strong somehow possesses talent in every area. She can get to the hoop and rack up points; her physicality and footwork make her a threat under the basket, and her defense is elite. These stacked stat sheets are an anomaly — she’s just that good.

Any WNBA team would jump at the chance to gain a two-way player who already possesses the strength to go up against tough WNBA opponents. If Strong were to be drafted into the WNBA right now, she could very likely help a young team as a legitimate two-way threat. Her efficiency numbers alone are enough to make any coach or general manager drool. Plus, if she were drafted to an expansion franchise, that’s your generational star player right from the start.

One small area for improvement

Saying Strong needs to “improve” is nitpicking at this point, but with two years left in the college game, she has time to develop. The one area of Strong’s game that lacks just a little bit is her three-point shooting. In her freshman season, Strong shot 33.3% on an average of three attempts per game.

While this isn’t an area of concern by any means, having Azzi Fudd as her teammate and partner this season means Strong does not have to shoot the three; it’s just something she could work on. Being able to space the floor even more than she already does by being a three-point shooting threat would make Strong — already one of the most deadly players in the game — even more lethal.

There is also room for Coach Auriemma to let her shoot that shot a bit this season. UConn plays in the Big East Conference, and as the only current ranked team in the conference, they are favorites to win in both the regular season and the conference tournament. If their first few games are any indication, there may be some big scoring margins in their games this season, and if Strong can build confidence by making a few more threes in those situations, it could help her grow that area of her game.

Still, even if Strong never becomes a huge three-point shooting threat, the rest of her game is good enough to make her one of the best in the sport.

Only up from here

One benefit of Strong having to stay in college for four years is the winning potential for both her and UConn as a team. She won a National Championship in her freshman season alongside Paige Bueckers, and UConn are the current favorites to repeat this season.

While she will then lose Fudd, who will move on to the WNBA after this college season, that doesn’t mean UConn will lack depth. Freshman Blanca Quinonez, out of Ecuador, is already averaging 11.5 points off the bench for UConn. As an international prospect outside of North America, she wasn’t ranked, but spent last season playing in Italy’s Serie A1 league. UConn also picked up Kayleigh Heckel and Serah Williams out of the transfer portal this summer.

All of that being said, while Strong will lead this UConn team for another two seasons after the current one, she won’t be all on her own. She has the potential to win more conference championships, more National titles, and many individual player awards.

She’s probably UConn’s best chance since Breanna Stewart was in the program to win multiple national championships with the Huskies before transitioning to the WNBA.

Even then, it’s only just the beginning.

• Women's College Basketball

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