UConn Rebounds From Final Four Loss by Landing No. 1 Recruit the Next Day

Zach Koons | Apr 6, 2024

Apr 4, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma during a press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

UConn’s impressive run to the 2024 Final Four came to a gut-wrenching end Friday night as Geno Auriemma’s Huskies fell to Caitlin Clark-led Iowa 71–69 in the national semifinal in Cleveland.

Though the result wasn’t what UConn would’ve wanted, it didn’t take long for the program to send a warning to the rest of the country about its prospects going forward.

Auriemma did that by landing a commitment from Sarah Strong, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024. Strong, a 6-foot-2 forward, chose the Huskies over offers from ACC powerhouses Duke and UNC.

"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 said of her decision to choose UConn over her other options, per ESPN. "I like the style and feel like I fill a need there. I'm drawn to the championship culture."

UConn may have lost last night, but they won this morning.

Receiving a commitment from the #1 ranked player in the 2024 class, Sarah Strong.

The 6’2 Forward is incredibly skilled in the low post, can handle the ball well for her size, and is a knockdown three point shooter. pic.twitter.com/26imcz8Ict

— Joe Doerrer (@jd3hoops) April 6, 2024

Strong joins an already highly-coveted 2024 class for the Huskies featuring two top-20 recruits, Allie Ziebell (No. 4) and Morgan Cheli (No. 18).

In her three seasons at Grace Christian School in Sanford, Nc., Strong has amassed a host of accolades, including a Naismith Player of the Year award and two gold medals as a member of the 3X3 U18 World Cup team. Now, she’ll set her sights on trying to end UConn’s eight-year title drought when she arrives on campus next season.