Film Room: Sarah Strong puts passing, shot blocking on display at U18 3x3 World Cup

Sarah Strong wasn’t on campus very long this summer — just a few weeks before heading off to international duty with Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Yet in that limited timeframe, one thing immediately stood out to the Huskies.

“She does a lot of things on the court,” Paige Bueckers observed. “She's very versatile.”

“I think the best players are the ones that go, ‘Coach, I can fill any position you want me to play. Just put me in that spot. Put me out on the court. I'll figure it out.’ And she's that kind of kid. I can put her anywhere,” Geno Auriemma said.

Perhaps that’s why Strong has been on USA Basketball’s U18 3×3 squad for three years running. With fewer players and more room on the court to operate, 3×3 players need a well-rounded skillset. Strong showed that off at the U18 3×3 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary last month.

Passing

The standout trait in Strong’s game is her passing. She had no trouble finding open teammates and getting them the ball throughout the tournament.

It’s not just that she can make the passes. Strong’s basketball IQ and anticipation put her over the top as a distributor.

Watch how quickly she gets rid of the ball once her teammate starts to cut. There’s no hesitation.

On this one, she already knows her teammate is open on the perimeter. She barely had to look before kicking the ball outside.

While this type of pass would almost certainly drive Auriemma crazy, it showed that she already knew where her teammate was before she even received the initial pass herself.

UConn’s best teams were always exceptional at moving the ball because they had five players on the floor who were all above-average passers. Strong is more than capable of doing her part to continue that legacy — regardless of where she lines up on the floor.

Defense

Strong displayed an uncanny ability to get her hands on opposing shots throughout the tournament. The way she got those blocks was unique, too: She doesn’t have the size or length of a typical shot-blocker, and didn’t just sit under the basket as a rim protector. Strong showed impeccable timing and mostly turned away jump-shots as opposed to layups.

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