Sarah Strong feeling good after rest, set to return against Creighton

After playing in each of the first 64 games of her collegiate career, Sarah Strong didn’t like being left out of the action while watching UConn’s win over Butler (and the previous day’s practice) from the sidelines.

“It felt definitely weird, my first time sitting out,” she admitted on Tuesday. “I kept wanting to run out with [my teammates] after we broke down the huddle.”

“Especially during practice, when they’re doing all the drills and struggling, I really want to be a part of that and help my team whenever I can,” she added later.

Strong ultimately made the most of it, though.

“I feel like I enjoyed it on my day off, or game off,” she said. “(Being) able to watch and see a different look at the game, it was a lot of fun.”

The Huskies held Strong out for the two days to help mitigate tightness in her calves. The sophomore could’ve played if needed, but UConn had no trouble with 10th-place Butler, winning 80-48 without the superstar.

“(We) decided it'd be smart to take a practice and game off to get my legs under me, just feel better for the next game,” Strong explained. “I had to take the rest and get better.”

The break did the trick. Strong said she feels better after the short layoff and will be back on the court when the Huskies face Creighton on Wednesday.

Although Auriemma initially called her absence “the college version of load management” — the NBA’s practice of resting healthy players during the 82-game regular season to keep them fresh for the playoffs — he clarified that the team didn’t just sit Strong for the sake of it.

“The average fan out there goes, ‘Oh, they're resting them because it's time to rest.’ But obviously, we don't do that. Obviously, the kids don't want to do that,” the coach said. “This is more, ‘I'm sore, so let's take a day off.’”

For Strong, taking proper care of her body is a new endeavor. Despite putting up one of the best freshman campaigns in program history, she admitted that she didn’t spend much time on recovery last season. That’s since changed.

“Last year I barely did the tubs and stuff,” Strong said. “But now I'm rolling out, stretching, focusing on what I'm eating, tubs — everything. Just trying everything out… Your body is what keeps you going, especially in basketball, obviously. But it's really important, the nutrition and the post-practice, postgame recovery, sleeping.”

Beyond giving the break to Strong on Saturday, UConn does have the luxury of limiting its players’ minutes down the stretch — which hasn’t been the case in recent years. Azzi Fudd currently leads the team at just 28.2 minutes per game, whereas in 2023-24, all five of the Huskies’ starters played over 30.0 minutes each night.

After all, UConn has to find some way to rest up. Since the Huskies schedule marquee non-conference matchups during their bye weeks in Big East play, they don’t have any extended breaks over the second half of the season. Between Dec. 28 and Mar. 1, their longest gap between games is just three days.

Once March arrives, UConn will have five days off before the Big East Tournament begins, followed by a 10-day break between the conference championship and NCAA Tournament.

But until they get there, the Huskies have to manage as best they can.

“The most important thing is just making sure that we're good to go for March,” Auriemma said.