Sarah Strong didn’t spend much time in Storrs this summer. While the rest of UConn’s newcomers spent the month of June on campus for offseason workouts, the freshman could only stay a couple of weeks before leaving for national team duty.

When she returned for the fall semester and got back on the court during team activities in September, Strong didn’t stand out despite being the No. 1 player in the class of 2024. In fairness, she wasn’t the only one.

“I think the whole month of September, there hasn't been anybody that's separated themselves — any of the young players, either last year's freshmen or this year's incoming freshmen,” Geno Auriemma said. “[Strong’s] been pretty tentative and feeling her way.”

But when the Huskies held their first official practice on Oct. 3, a switch flipped in the freshman.