Tag: Sarah Strong

Bill Fennelly was flabbergasted after Sarah Strong’s spectacular night vs. Iowa State

His flabbers were GHASTED.

UConn freshman Sarah Strong was so good when the Huskies played Iowa State that Cyclones head coach Bill Fennelly couldn’t believe it.

Listen, we tried to tell everyone about Sarah Strong. We even made this handy dandy guide of stellar freshmen you need to know headlined by her. However, we realize that not everyone will pay attention to what we say. Sometimes, they have to see it in person, and that’s precisely what happened to Bill Fennelly.

On Tuesday, Strong went scorched earth on the Cyclones, dropping 17 points in the 3rd quarter alone, as she shot her way to a career-high 29 points. (She also added nine rebounds and four assists, because why not.) Postgame, Fennelly was stunned by what he witnessed. “I don’t know if you can put it into words,” he told the media. “There’s certain people — Geno’s had them over the years — that the game looks really easy and it just pisses you off…She was so much better live than on video.”

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No. 1 girls basketball prospect Sarah Strong commits to UConn Huskies

Big news for the Huskies’ future.

UConn and its fans are frustrated about the end of the extremely close semifinals game against Iowa on Friday night, but Saturday opened with some good news for the program.

Sarah Strong, the No. 1 girls basketball prospect on ESPN’s rankings, committed to the Huskies this afternoon. The 6-foot-2 power forward led Grace Christian to a 30-0 season and berth in the prestigious Chipotle Nations this year, graduating with three-year career averages of 23 points, 16.0 rebounds (5.3 on the offensive glass), 4.7 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

She won two gold medals in the 3×3 U18 World Cup, and this year, was the McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP.

Strong, who committed very late in this cycle, gives UConn a final win this season. The highly touted senior chose the Huskies over a plethora of schools, including Duke and North Carolina, which rounded out her top three.

She showed her talent best against the top competition in high school. She was named McDonald’s MVP after posting a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and she one-upped that performance in the Chipotle Nationals as she recorded a remarkable 31 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, and five 3-pointers.

Strong was also a Naismith All-American this year.

UConn has a very strong class of 2024 that is plenty good to help continue their long rein of excellence. Allie Ziebell, ranked No. 4 in the class, and Morgan Cheli, ranked No. 18, join Strong as the new additions to the esteemed program.

They’ll be looking to join the likes of Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and other UConn alumni who have made an impact at the collegiate and WNBA levels.

Related: USA TODAY High School Sports Stars of the Week: Sarah Strong, Joyce Edwards, Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg, Jayden Heavener

LSU misses the cut for top women’s basketball prospect in 2024 class

The Tigers didn’t make the top three for Sarah Strong, the No. 1 player in the 2024 cycle.

LSU has been a routine contender for elite talent since coach [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] arrived in Baton Rouge two years ago, but it has missed the cut for the top women’s basketball prospect in the 2024 cycle.

ESPN reported Thursday that [autotag]Sarah Strong[/autotag], a forward from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, is down to three schools.

LSU was not among them. The No. 1 player in the nation per the ESPNW Top 100 is down to Duke, North Carolina and UConn.

The top three make a decent deal of geographic sense for the North Carolina native, and Mulkey’s squad will miss out on adding another elite player.

LSU has one commitment in the 2024 cycle from a top 100 prospect: Louisiana native [autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag].

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5-star LSU women’s basketball target to announce commitment on Friday

Jaloni Cambridge, the top guard in the 2024 class, will announce her college decision on Friday.

Acquiring top talent hasn’t been an issue for [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] since arriving in Baton Rouge, and she’s looking to land another elite high school prospect in five-star guard [autotag]Jaloni Cambridge[/autotag].

Cambridge, the No. 3 player in America and top guard in the 2024 class, will announce her college commitment on Friday. The product of Montverde Academy in Florida by way of Nashville, Tennessee, will announce her decision between Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, South Carolina, Louisville, Baylor and the Tigers.

Cambridge officially visited LSU in November and was on hand for the team’s national championship banner unveiling and ring ceremony. The Tigers will hope she becomes the second commit in the 2024 class alongside [autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag], who signed during the early signing period last month.

Cambridge is the second-highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2024 class behind North Carolina forward [autotag]Sarah Strong[/autotag], the No. 1 player in the nation. The Tigers are in the mix for strong, as well, though they’re in a two-team race with blue-blood UConn.

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LSU women’s basketball hosting pair of five-star prospects this weekend

LSU is in hot pursuit of a pair of top-five prospects in the 2024 class.

[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] has accumulated an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent in Baton Rouge, and the list of big-time names to come through LSU’s women’s basketball program may be about to get even longer.

Mulkey and the Tigers are gearing up for a big-time recruiting weekend in which they will host a pair of five-star prospects and top-five recruits in the 2024 class, according to a report from LSU Country’s Zack Nagy.

[autotag]Sarah Strong[/autotag], the No. 1 player in America, and [autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] — who ranks No. 5 overall in the class — are the headliners.

LSU seems to be the favorite for Strong, a North Carolina native who recently competed in Hungary alongside 2023 Tigers signee [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] in the FIBA U18 3×3 World Cup.

Koval, who hails from New York, has also been a priority target for the Tigers in the cycle, and it seems to be shaping up to be a battle between LSU and Notre Dame for her services.

The Tigers held recent in-home visits with both prospects, per Nagy.

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