SARAH STRONG’S PARENTS inform a story about when she was younger and the household was on the best way home from a skilled game that her mom, Allison Feaster, had simply performed for Spanish EuroLeague staff CB Alcobendas.Late within the game, together with her staff down by three and little time on the clock, Feaster determined to take an open 3 in transition as an alternative of going for what regarded like an uncontested layup. She missed and Alcobendas went on to lose.”You should have just taken the layup,” the younger Sarah mentioned defiantly.Her father, Danny Strong, and mom gave one another that look — each astonished however barely impressed. Sarah remembers her mother saying one thing to the impact of, “It’s time to be quiet,” however she proudly smiles retelling the memory.”I always remind her that three is more than two,” Allison mentioned whereas laughing as she shared recollections of Sarah’s childhood and growth removed from their present home in North Carolina.That younger basketball thoughts grew up to be the No. 1 participant within the class of 2024 and the final recruit within the 2024 ESPN Top 100 to commit. Most know her because the two-time 3X3 U18 World Cup gold medalist, the McDonald’s All American Game co-MVP, Naismith High School Player of the Year, adidas Eurocamp MVP, Jordan Brand All-American, Nike Hoop Summit participant, two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina and two-time North Carolina Miss Basketball.As of Saturday, more will know her as the newest high recruit to signal with UConn and coach Geno Auriemma — a dedication made on the Chipotle Nationals.The accolades and dedication are simply the newest steps in a basketball story that has spanned a number of continents and a familial path on the high faculty circuit. Her rise as the highest recruit within the nation is uniquely her own — a distinction well-earned after understanding who she is and the place she comes from.Strong was named co-MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All American Game on Tuesday. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY SportsSARAH WAS BORN in Spain as her dad and mom had been each enjoying skilled basketball after memorable school careers within the States.Feaster was a high faculty All-American and valedictorian and performed at Harvard the place she was named Ivy League Player of the Year 3 times and is regarded by many as one of the best girls’s participant within the historical past of the convention. She was the fifth decide within the 1998 WNBA draft and performed 9 seasons within the league earlier than transitioning to Europe.Meanwhile, Danny performed at NC State the place he averaged 12.5 factors and 4.9 rebounds and shot 75.6% from the free throw line and 38.8% from 3 earlier than pursuing a European profession that noticed his most important success in France. He was named a four-time French National Basketball League All-Star and gained a 2005 French Cup championship.With the basketball pedigree in her household, it is not shocking one of Sarah’s earliest recollections is within the fitness center together with her mother and the CB Alcobendas.”We would play in the morning and they would have a game at night and [I remember] just being there the whole day and watching them practice and trying to do the drills they were doing,” she mentioned.Her first expertise with the game was watching and utilizing her creativeness by means of imitation as she was influenced by the skilled girls’s gamers in Europe. Soon enough she joined the acquainted European membership mannequin of organized basketball.”That’s when we really noticed that she had some unique talent,” Feaster mentioned. “We’d watch her … for me it was a little special, she’d get the ball and would start making passes the length of the court. … You could tell that she understood and had vision and could think the game at an early age.”Editor’s Picks1 AssociatedWhen her dad and mom determined to return to the United States, her transition from Europe into faculties within the States at 10 years outdated was clean. She attended a Spanish-American non-public faculty whereas in Spain with a bilingual curriculum however comprehending some of the more colloquial slang was an adjustment.”I watched a lot of Disney movies and I expected it to be like that, but it really wasn’t. Like, I expected there to be one bully and all that,” Sarah mentioned with a snicker. “[Sports] made it a lot easier. I was able to make friends through the Strong Center because most of the kids went to the same school as me.”The Strong Center is a basis and neighborhood primarily based round sports created by her father in 2016 that has packages in basketball, football and wrestling, with a concentrate on neighborhood outreach.”Community service — dealing with families who are less fortunate. Feeding families or helping them with clothes or different things like that,” Danny mentioned. “Just mentoring students having difficulty adjusting to school or sports or whatever. Any way to help families or build the community where we are needed.”The heart remained a fixed affect and a place of assist for Sarah as she navigated her new life within the StatesShe performed her freshman yr at Fuquay-Varina High School in North Carolina earlier than she and her household determined she would select a non-public faculty to attend for her sophomore yr. They visited a number of however one thing about Grace Christian Sanford made her really feel at home whereas on campus.”When I went there, they were really welcoming. And it was during COVID and I wanted in-person classes. It felt normal,” Sarah mentioned.This choice proved to be proper as she developed close-knit relationships together with her teammates over three years. During her time there, the basketball staff gained three straight state championships and obtained invited to the Chipotle Nationals.She selected to keep together with her impartial membership — the Strong Center’s membership staff, Lady Strong — within the summers. It’s a problem in at the moment’s surroundings for an impartial staff outdoors of the key circuits to discover constant high-level competitors, however Lady Strong curated the schedule to accommodate what she needed in her recruitment whereas additionally specializing in what the opposite staff members needed.”The team always wins over individuals. It started early [for me]. And it’s how we keep our family and our circles tight,” mentioned Danny, who coaches Lady Strong.Once again carving out her own path, Sarah isn’t as energetic on social media as many of her fellow recruits; usually she is resharing teammates’ and mates’ successes as a lot as she reshares her own.”I’ve never had a post, only shared or retweeted my teammates and my stuff. I’ve only had Instagram for about a year and I said my first post was going to be my commitment, so I just stuck to that,” Strong mentioned. There are no exercise videos or self-promoting spotlight reels on her timeline. For the social media age, her game isn’t essentially one which catches the eyes of the informal scroller — not less than not but. She has an all-around game and the magic is within the little particulars — the depth of which is known more whereas inspecting how she obtained right here.Strong has a quiet and unassuming demeanor. She isn’t often the primary individual in a room to converse and doesn’t look to be the middle of consideration in new social settings however is self-described as “caring, loving, funny and competitive.”Her character is mirrored on the basketball courtroom, as she takes her time to get snug, learn the opposite staff and proceed accordingly to a lot success. Her objectives go far past the courtroom, although, as she feels a vital pull to neighborhood outreach and philanthropic efforts.”I really like what my dad has built with the Strong Center and what my mom has done. I’m pretty sure I want to do something like they both have done — like a mix of both of them in a way,” she mentioned. “The Strong Center is a big family — they’ll do anything for each other and support each other. I’m definitely proud of my mom. It’s weird to see her post all the stuff on Instagram, but I’m genuinely proud of her. Everyone in my family is.”Before she will get to these future objectives, her subsequent stop is Storrs, Connecticut, and a function with one of the nation’s most prestigious packages.THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL Strong’s imaginative and prescient board had “Go to UConn” stamped on it as a future goal however when it got here time to take a look at faculties she stored her choices open with official visits to Oregon, LSU, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and a few unofficial visits to Duke. She didn’t envision occurring a number of official visits when she first began, however this was a new world in recruitment.She first went to UConn to see a observe and go to the campus during her sophomore yr when she and her mates took a journey to Boston. She then visited the campus a handful of occasions for practices or video games after that and her official go to was during UConn’s annual First Night weekend, the one weekend the UConn program hosts official visits within the fall. Fellow future classmates Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli attended as properly and Strong has since studied their video games.”They are both really good players — they have different styles, but they both have strong games. Allie can really shoot and Morgan is a little bit of everything — her footwork is really good when I’ve watched her play,” she mentioned.She characteristically took her time and noticed, in search of that really feel and spirit that first led her to Grace Christian. When she talks about UConn, it’s in a reverent method comparable to her high faculty choice.”Just watching them play … watching and realizing I can help them and be there. I’m just ready to be there and practice and play,” Strong mentioned. “I like the style and feel like I fill a need there. I’m drawn to the championship culture.”She vividly remembers discussing her growth wants with the UConn employees during recruiting to in the end help attain her potential.”I can remember Geno [and assistant coaches Jamelle Elliott and Morgan Valley] coming to this little gym in 10th grade,” she mentioned. “UConn kept it real. They would tell me what I need to work on — they would just tell me I need to get in better shape and now they’ve noticed a difference. Some coaches would be like, ‘You’re so good,’ and obviously I know I’m not ready to be at the college level [currently]. I just like that they kept it honest.”In spite of the snug match, there are nonetheless small changes to be made.”[Geno] kind of scares me sometimes. He’s really serious, but I also know that he cares about his players,” Strong mentioned, smiling. “Early on I thought it was going to just be basketball, but as we talked more and got to know each other better, I feel like he genuinely cares about his players. His sense of humor is different. Sometimes he’s mad serious when he texts, no emojis or anything. And then sometimes he’ll send a text ‘heyyyyy’ with a bunch of Y’s and a smiley face.”Despite their dominance over the game this century, Auriemma and UConn haven’t gained a national championship since 2016. They have knocked on the door by returning to Final Fours, however haven’t introduced home the title — a commonplace that they created for themselves over the previous 20-plus years.Now, with star Paige Bueckers returning and Strong getting into this system as a possible difference-maker, expectations are high for the world-traveled, soon-to-be freshman and her new program.