During a press conference ahead of their game against South Dakota State, head coach Geno Auriemma recalled his first impressions of Sarah Strong.
The first time Auriemma went to watch Strong play with his coaching staff, she acknowledged Auriemma and said hello to him and his staff, but then kept on practicing with her friends.
“She has no time for me, you or anybody else,” said Auriemma to the media. “So, whatever you get from her is what we all get as coaches. Her friends, her teammates? That’s a whole different story. So, she’s very, very bright.”
However, from time to time Strong will show her personality, whether that be through her signature thumbs-up in photos or one-liners.
Fans may remember a funny moment between Strong and Paige Bueckers at the Champions Classic when Bueckers compared Strong to “Inspector Gadget.” Strong did not get the reference to the 80s cartoon character, so Bueckers promptly said, “Kids these days,” where Strong responded with, “I’m an adult, thank you.”
All jokes aside, Strong keeps her fiery comebacks off the court, and is calm, cool and collected once she steps on the hardwood.
Kaitlyn Chen, Strong’s roommate, said there’s never really a “dull moment” in their apartment.
Chen mentioned that Strong plays the piano and guitar and thinks the fans should know that the 6-foot-2 forward is very multi-talented.
Along with her roommates Chen and KK Arnold, Strong’s personality is appreciated by all of her teammates.
“No one really believes us when we tell you that that’s how she is,” said Azzi Fudd, “She definitely is super loyal, rides for her friends, rides for her teammates.”
Fudd elaborated that Strong has a “goofy” side to her.
“She’s a lot of fun and I remember the first time I was like ‘Wait, this is the real her? Like, I was confused,” concluded Fudd.
When asked to describe herself off the court to her fans, Strong said that she thinks she’s “pretty funny.”
“Yeah, I’m funny, I’m just like a regular person,” Strong said.
Just like her roommate Chen mentioned, Strong’s favorite hobbies include playing the guitar and piano.
“Anything on TikTok,” Strong said when asked what songs she likes to play on her instruments. “I just got bored and got a guitar and started learning.”
When asked about her go-to song once she picks up her guitar, it is “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez, which has grown immensely popular on TikTok.
Aside from her hobbies, Strong has been making waves in her first run at March Madness.
The forward came into this season as ESPN’s No. 1 ranked recruit and has made waves in her first-year campaign, with fans comparing her to UConn great Maya Moore.
Strong made her NCAA tournament debut last week and racked up four consecutive double-doubles to get her first appearances rolling.
According to Alexa Philippou of ESPN, after Strong’s first March Madness game against Arkansas State on March 22, Strong is the only player over the last 25 seasons to put up a stat line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.
That stat line is just a testament to how consistent a player the North Carolina native is.
Next up, Strong is preparing for the Elite Eight in Spokane, Wash. on Monday evening but is trying to look at it like it’s any other game.
“I’m just not going to try to think about it being the Elite 8. I don’t need the extra pressure, so [I] just try to focus on whatever and stay present,” Strong said.