The transition from college ball to the pros is tough, and plenty of players fall away along the way. The WNBA makes it even harder, with rosters capped at 12 players, forcing many to settle for training camp contracts or wait for opportunities as hardship replacements. In the years ahead, players like Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd will make that jump, and one UConn legend has a message for what lies ahead.

A two-time national champion at UConn and a current WNBA free agent after spending last season with the Chicago Sky, Kia Nurse had a special message for upcoming UConn graduates about what lies ahead.

“In a league where it’s extremely hard to stay, and there are not a lot of spots to take, there are consistently Connecticut players who come into the league and have long careers. Some of them will be franchise players, some of them will be like me and can be glue players or role players. And I think that’s a massive credit to them(to Coach Auriemma and his staff), for building pros and people who are prepared for the pros,” Nurse said in the Hoops 360 podcast.

She continued, “I think a lot of coaches I hear from around the league say that when they get a Connecticut player, ‘I know what I’m getting from them. I know how they’ve been coached. I know the level of discipline and the level of intelligence they’re going to come into the league with.’ And so it’s exciting for people to go after some of those players because they know the history of other Connecticut players. I think that’s been a big piece of it as well.”

From Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi to Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, UConn has consistently sent elite talent to the league, and that pipeline is not slowing down. Paige Bueckers is the reigning Rookie of the Year, and her UConn backcourt partner, Azzi Fudd, could be the next ROY to follow.

Two years from now, another bona fide superstar could be entering the league in Sarah Strong. She has the talent to establish herself among the very best the league has ever seen, and we are not saying that lightly. Strong is currently averaging 19.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, and she is a prime candidate to win National Player of the Year.

The duo of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd has taken the country by storm. Together, they are averaging 36.5 points per game this season, seamlessly filling the scoring void left by Paige Bueckers, who was the focal point of last year’s offense.

Against top competition, their production has only increased. In five games against teams currently ranked inside the top 15, Strong and Fudd averaged 47.8 points per game. Their performance against Tennessee marked the second time this season they combined for at least 50 points, with the first coming against Iowa.

There is little doubt that when these two eventually make the jump to the pros, they will take the league by storm. Who knows, perhaps Candace Parker’s record as the only rookie to win MVP could even be challenged when Sarah Strong eventually enters the league.

That conversation can wait. Right now, the focus is simply on continuing to win.

What’s next for Sarah Strong and co?

UConn’s 96–66 win over Tennessee pushed its winning streak to 39 games and marked its 18th straight victory by at least 25 points, something no Division I team has done in the last 25 seasons. The Huskies are now 23–0 overall and 12–0 in the Big East, once again charging toward an unbeaten season.

History offers both caution and optimism for UConn. The last time the Huskies went unbeaten, their run ended with a Final Four loss to Notre Dame. But history also tells us that UConn has won six national championships without dropping a game, and this team could be next.

With DePaul, Butler, and Creighton up next, UConn appears set for a favorable run, with each matchup looking winnable for Sarah Strong and co.

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This is expected to be Azzi Fudd’s final season at UConn, with the guard widely projected as a top-three pick in the draft. Sarah Strong, meanwhile, is set to spend two more seasons with the Huskies before making her own move to the league. That makes this likely the final run for the Fudd-Strong duo, and both will be eager to cap it by delivering another championship for UConn.

Do you see them getting it done? Let us know in the comments below.