The day earlier than Sarah Sturdy and the UConn ladies received the 2025 NCAA title final April, South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley made a prediction in regards to the Huskies’ then-freshman ahead.
“Within the subsequent three years, she could be the most effective participant to come back out of UConn,” Staley stated on the Closing 4. “And people are robust phrases. However what she’s capable of do — keep calm, the IQ is off the charts, the ability set off the charts. Large play after massive play after massive play.”
Staley is aware of what it is prefer to have enormous expectations as a freshman. She skilled it as a participant at Virginia in 1988-89, averaging 18.5 factors, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and three.3 steals. And he or she has each coached and coached in opposition to such gamers.
Sturdy had 24 factors and 15 rebounds within the Huskies’ win over South Carolina within the 2025 nationwide championship recreation. She began all 40 video games final season, averaging 16.4 factors, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a couple of.3 steals. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-2 Sturdy is without doubt one of the front-runners for nationwide participant of the yr. For the No. 1-ranked Huskies (4-0) this season, she is averaging 20.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.0 APG and three.3 SPG.
On the Basketball Corridor of Fame Girls’s Showcase this weekend in Uncasville, Connecticut, the Huskies will face No. 6 Michigan on Friday and Utah on Sunday. Sturdy is coming off a 100-68 win over Ohio State through which she had 29 factors, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and three blocks.
“We put the ball in Sarah Sturdy’s palms,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma stated, “and we’ll get one thing actually, actually good.”
There’s much more time to observe Sturdy’s progress as she climbs the ranks of UConn greats. For now, let’s take a look at how a few of her UConn predecessors handled the stress of being extremely regarded freshmen, how that carried over to their sophomore seasons, and the defining traits that Sturdy seems to share with them.
“I might say these sorts of gamers … you possibly can virtually see the best way they carried themselves was simply completely different,” Auriemma stated. “They anticipate far more of themselves. That is what I might say proper now about Sarah. No matter she anticipated of herself final yr — which was in all probability lots — she expects far more from herself this yr.”
Sue Chicken: Accountability
Freshman season: 5.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 3.1 APG in 8 video games
Sophomore season: 10.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 37 video games
It might sound that little connects Chicken, UConn’s level guard from 1998-2002, and Sturdy. Chicken’s freshman season ended early with an ACL harm, whereas Sturdy was a key think about successful a nationwide championship in her first yr.
However Auriemma knew each would thrive with him placing quite a lot of weight on their shoulders. Regardless of Chicken’s restricted taking part in time as a freshman, he informed her earlier than her sophomore season that something that went improper with UConn can be her fault.
He wished Chicken to really feel accountable for all of the Huskies did. That edict would not have labored with many gamers. For a born chief like Chicken, it was a problem she might course of and deal with. She helped lead UConn to this system’s second nationwide championship her sophomore season.
UConn wanted Sturdy to play properly instantly final season. She scored in double figures in all however three video games and had fewer than 5 rebounds simply 3 times. On the Closing 4, Sturdy had 22 factors and eight rebounds within the semifinals in opposition to UCLA, and 24 and 15 within the remaining in opposition to South Carolina.
This yr, Auriemma has informed Sturdy that he needs her to play like the most effective participant within the nation, interval.
“As coaches … even in follow we virtually need her to be good,” he stated. “[It’s] not truthful. However I would not ask her to be if I did not assume she might.”
Diana Taurasi: Confidence
Freshman season: 10.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.3 APG in 33 video games
Sophomore season: 14.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.3 APG in 39 video games
Her freshman yr, Taurasi was surrounded by star juniors and seniors but nonetheless made an instantaneous influence. However that 2000-01 season ended with a nightmare: She shot 1-of-15 (0-of-11 from 3-point vary) in a nationwide semifinal loss to Notre Dame. Nonetheless, Auriemma informed her to not let that efficiency dent her superpower: confidence.
It did not. As a sophomore, the guard shot 44% (92-of-209) to steer Division I in 3-point share and received the primary of her three consecutive NCAA titles.
Sturdy would not have Taurasi’s devil-may-care persona. However she has performed with confidence since her first faculty recreation final yr, through which she was 8-of-12 from the sector for 17 factors, with 4 rebounds and 6 steals, in a win over Boston College. Sturdy’s unflappable demeanor offers stability to her whole crew.
Freshman season: 12.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.3 BPG in 36 video games
Sophomore season: 14.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG in 38 video games
Charles’ freshman season ended with a lesson that toughened her up: dealing with then-junior Sylvia Fowles of LSU within the 2007 Elite Eight. LSU received 73-50 behind 6-6 middle Fowles’ 23 factors, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks. Charles had one level, going 0-for-5 from the sector, and three rebounds.
As a sophomore, Charles led the Large East in discipline purpose share (60.4%) and helped UConn make the Closing 4. The Huskies misplaced within the semifinals to Stanford, however Charles did not lose a recreation in both her junior or senior seasons as UConn received back-to-back NCAA titles in 2009 and 2010.
The 6-4 Charles added the 3-point shot to her recreation when she was in her seventh WNBA season in 2016, and in 2021 she made a career-high 50. However her bread and butter have all the time been her toughness underneath the basket. Sturdy has related resolve, regardless that she is a few inches shorter and already has an efficient 3-point shot, making 59 final season on 38.8% taking pictures.
Maya Moore: Fluidity
Freshman season: 17.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.1 APG in 38 video games
Sophomore season: 19.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.3 APG in 39 video games
Moore’s motion on courtroom was so clean it typically left you questioning how she made issues look really easy. We have already seen a number of moments like that from Sturdy.
Moore was a celebrity as a freshman, serving to lead the Huskies again to the Closing 4 after a three-year absence. They misplaced within the semifinals to Stanford. Then Moore was the consensus nationwide participant of the yr as a sophomore and made probably the most 3-pointers of her profession that season (90). UConn went undefeated her sophomore and junior seasons, and the 6-foot ahead led UConn to a 150-4 document over her four-year profession (2007-11) in Storrs.
Sturdy, additionally might turn out to be the consensus NPOY in her second season. How clean she appears is an electrical high quality.
“If you watch how she does it, it simply form of makes you notice, ‘That is not regular,'” Auriemma stated of Sturdy. “Most youngsters, you’ll be able to inform they’re working actually laborious to get their 29 factors. I do not know that she works actually, actually laborious. I imply, it is not as straightforward as she makes it look … however it form of is.
“She has such nice physique management, improbable imaginative and prescient, she is aware of how the sport is being performed and the place her benefits are, and there is not a shot on the ground she will be able to’t make.”
Freshman season: 13.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG in 36 video games
Sophomore season: 19.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.8 BPG in 40 video games
Steward famously arrived at UConn saying she would win 4 nationwide championships — and she or he did. The 6-foot-4 ahead had some difficult moments in the course of the common season her freshman yr when Auriemma benched her to make a degree. That every one light away when she dominated the 2013 NCAA event.
Stewart, who performed at UConn from 2012-16, carried that over to turn out to be the nation’s finest participant as a sophomore, enhancing as a scorer, playmaker and defender. Stewart’s dominance intimidated opponents earlier than the sport even began.
Sturdy has that going for her, too: She already has professional potential. One play in Sunday’s win over Ohio State stands out for example: Sturdy blocked a shot, scrambled previous the shooter to get the ball after which drove down the courtroom for a layup.
“I am simply making an attempt to be a part of each play,” Sturdy stated. “Have an effect on the sport in each means that I can.”
Freshman season: 6.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.2 BPG in 38 video games
Sophomore season: 20.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG in 37 video games
As a freshman in 2015-16, Collier performed behind seniors Stewart and Morgan Tuck in UConn’s 38-0 season. However as a sophomore, she turned UConn’s main scorer and rebounder whereas taking pictures a career-best 67.8% from the sector. Collier’s efficient discipline purpose share (70.2) led Division I in 2016-17.
Sturdy shot 58.6% from the sector as a freshman, which included 38.8% from behind the arc. She is at 61.1% total and 33.3% from 3-point vary up to now this season. Collier, a 6-1 ahead who performed at UConn from 2015-19, did not squander her alternatives on the courtroom, one thing she has carried along with her to the WNBA. Sturdy has the identical mentality.
“She’s extraordinarily environment friendly across the basket; she’s nice on the 3-point line,” Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff stated of Sturdy after Sunday’s recreation. “However in all probability extra essential than all that, she’s received a terrific basketball IQ, and she or he makes so many good selections.”
Freshman season: 20.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.8 APG in 29 video games
Sophomore season: 14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 17 video games
Bueckers began her faculty profession underneath the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the load of being a “savior” participant because the No. 1 recruit anticipated to assist UConn win its first title since 2016. She was able to be nice. Bueckers was the consensus nationwide participant of the yr as a freshman for the 2020-21 season, main the Huskies to the nationwide semifinals, the place they misplaced to Arizona.
Sturdy additionally got here in as a No. 1 recruit who was counted on to supply immediately. Each Bueckers and Sturdy had been ready for high-pressure environments but in addition the on a regular basis grind essential to be their finest. Sturdy little doubt received a few of that from her mom, Allison Feaster, who performed collegiately at Harvard after which spent 10 seasons within the WNBA.
Admittedly, Bueckers’ sophomore yr was completely different than that of any of the beforehand talked about gamers as a result of it was injury-plagued, so she did not get the possibility to make the progress she wished. Nonetheless, Bueckers stayed the course by means of that season, and was again to assist the Huskies make the 2022 NCAA remaining, the place they misplaced to South Carolina.
Bueckers missed 2022-23 with a knee harm, misplaced within the nationwide semifinals once more (to Iowa) in 2024, after which final season she and Sturdy helped lead UConn to its first NCAA title since 2016. Like Bueckers, Sturdy by no means regarded rattled as a freshman.
“She performs with such confidence and such poise,” Auriemma stated of Sturdy, “as a result of she is aware of, ‘I’ll by no means be on the courtroom in any scenario the place I do not know what to do.’ That is a reasonably nice luxurious to have as a child.”
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou contributed to this story.
