UConn's reluctant superstar Sarah Strong may let her 'Diana side' out this March Madness

Connecticut's best player, Sarah Strong, is a force on the court and a mystery off it. And, that's the way she wants it.

STORRS, CT – Geno Auriemma couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

During a UConn women’s basketball practice last February, the Huskies were scrimmaging using rules from the now-extinct style of girls basketball called six-on-six that designates players as guards or forwards. Three players from each team on either side of the court – playing offense or defense – not crossing the center line.

Things got heated quickly as teammates clapped in each other’s faces and committed hard fouls.

At the center of it all was Huskies forward Sarah Strong, then a freshman whose quiet disposition was usually more stoic than spitfire. After recruiting her for years and coaching her for months, it was the first time Auriemma got a glimpse of Strong’s full competitive nature. It reminded him of one of his program’s most famous provocateurs, Diana Taurasi.

“You saw a different side of Sarah. You saw the Diana side,” Auriemma said. “(Strong) has a very mild, easygoing demeanor, but that just masks what’s underneath.”