The UConn Huskies’ nail-biting 72-70 loss to the USC Trojans is being tied to everything from the team’s execution issues to Geno Auriemma’s decision to pull out KK Arnold. Yet, in the eyes of some fans, freshman Sarah Strong, despite her amazing numbers, has become the scapegoat. Why? Because the game ended with her at the free-throw line.

Strong’s stat line for the night was incredible. 22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. But all anyone seems to remember is what happened in the game’s final seconds that surprised 15,684 hoop fans at the XL Center in Hartford. Down by three, Strong was fouled on a three-point attempt. She sank the first free throw, bringing UConn within two. 

Then came the second. She missed it. As for the third, she intentionally bricked it, hoping to give UConn one last chance. The Huskies rebounded the ball, and it eventually made its way back to Strong. Sure, it wasn’t the ending anyone hoped for, but coach Geno Auriemma and teammates were quick to back her up. 

Teammate Paige Bueckers came to Strong’s defense right after the game. “Just to be clear, that game was not won or lost with those free throws,” she said during the post-game press conference, shutting down the narrative that Strong’s missed shots cost UConn the game. “She showed up on this stage, and she affected the game in so many ways—rebounding, defending, assisting, scoring.”

She added that she doesn’t want people to get the wrong impression. “She impacted this game in a tremendously positive way, and those free throws weren’t what decided the outcome,” she expressed. 

Coach Auriemma also threw his support behind Strong, highlighting her maturity. “She’s devastated about the second free throw—the third one doesn’t even matter because she missed it on purpose,” Auriemma explained. “But just the fact that she was in that moment in a game like this says a lot about her. How she plays and performs, and the fact that we go to her in big moments, says a lot about what I think of her.”

However, Auriemma didn’t shy away from critiquing the team’s overall performance. He was blunt about their lackluster first half, calling it one of the worst he’s seen in years. 

Geno Auriemma admits the team ‘needs to get better’

“The execution part in the first half was just as bad as I’ve seen in a few years here in Connecticut,” the Huskies head coach shared. The Huskies truly looked out of sync in the opening quarters, allowing USC to build a commanding lead. JuJu Watkins, the Trojans’ star sophomore, torched them with 25 points. 

UConn’s defense, usually a strength, seemed flat, and their offense wasn’t much better. Things improved in the second half, but by then, it was too little, too late. UConn couldn’t sustain the momentum they built in the third quarter. And the HC knows it well. 

“We have to get better,” he said, summing up what every UConn fan was thinking. Part of the problem is that UConn missed two crucial players due to injuries. Azzi Fudd, recovering from a knee sprain, did make a brief appearance in the game but clearly wasn’t at her best. 

Aubrey Griffin, still sidelined, has been progressing well in rehab and has looked strong in controlled scrimmages. However, her return is still weeks away, with mid-January being the target. The absence of these two players has been felt on both ends of the court. 

As the Huskies wait for their full roster to return, they’ll need to find ways to win. Strong’s performance, despite the missed free throws, shows she’s ready to step up. Let’s hope this missed FT doesn’t shake her confidence in the coming matchups.