While UConn Huskies legend Nykesha Sales returns to the program as an assistant coach this season, she will see a reflection of herself from the sidelines in the form of Sarah Strong.
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Just like Strong, Sales won her first NCAA championship in her debut year with the Huskies. And just like Strong, she was initially surrounded by stars like Rebecca Lobo and Kara Wolters. But now that Strong is the centerpiece of all of head coach Geno Auriemma’s plans, Sales, with all her years of expertise, is imparting her wisdom to Strong on how to excel in such a role.
“It’s the same storyline. She came in, she won a national championship; I came in, won the championship. Then the big dogs leave, so now you have to not only still produce what you did as a freshman and as a sophomore, but now you have to be way more vocal. I wasn’t very vocal, I liked to show by example. Now she has to be the true leader.” Sales said, per the Hartford Courant.
The “big dogs” in question in Sarah Strong’s era were obviously Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. The duo, along with Strong, won the 2025 NCAA championship. From there, Bueckers and Fudd went on to become the No. 1 overall draft picks in the WNBA, showcasing just how talented they were during their time at UConn. While Strong has the blueprint, now is the time for her to show she can lead the Huskies to glory as the sole leader.
But now, she has another blueprint to look up to with Sales in attendance. The 50-year-old left UConn with an almost unsurpassable legacy. Part of the Huskies’ first national championship win, Sales then graduated as UConn’s all-time leading scorer with 2,178 career points (currently ranks seventh), while she remains the ultimate thief in program history with 447 career steals. Sales also holds UConn’s single-game scoring record with 46 points back in 1997.
Sarah Strong has created a dominant story of her own, now entering her junior year with the Huskies. Last season, she swept all major National Player of the Year awards while becoming the third-fastest player in UConn history to reach 1,000 career points (accomplished in 59 games), alongside holding the program freshman record for rebounds (356) and NCAA Tournament points (114).
But accolades aside, Sales, as the assistant coach, can help Strong elevate her game at the small forward position, as she also primarily played and excelled there. That, along with taking on the leader role for Auriemma’s side, will make Strong an even bigger threat to the opposition than she ever was, and Sales knows her potential all too well.
“A lot (of people) compare me to Sarah Strong. Being able to play inside, outside a little bit, body type. Obviously, she’s one of the best players in the country — I don’t know if I was when I was here like that — and she has a lot of responsibility and a lot of growth.” Sales said.
Apart from Sales, Auriemma himself admitted that Sarah Strong can take things to another level in her junior year. After building her strength back following a nagging Achilles injury during the summer, Auriemma revealed his faith in Strong during the Big East Media Day.
“I think what we’ll see is a much more aggressive Sarah, much more intentional, much more understanding that ‘I have to be more assertive every day’ … I think there is more that she has, and we’re going to see it this year,” Auriemma said.
In her sophomore year, Strong averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. While one can only wonder how much more the forward can improve in just a season, this is the 12-time championship-winning coach we are talking about, who has trained the likes of Dianna Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Breanna Stewart.
Of course, now, the added advantage of having Sales will do wonders for Strong and for the whole team as well, according to Auriemma.
“Somebody who not only, at the time, held the scoring record here, but then was an All-WNBA player every single year she was in the league, and then has coached at a couple different places and seen things a little different than we do here at UConn, which is good. How lucky are some of these kids to be able to work with her?” The 72-year-old said.
The Huskies infamously lost to Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four last season. With the addition of Nykesha Sales as assistant coach and Sarah Strong ready to become the leader of the program, the UConn Huskies will look to reclaim their national championship for the 13th time under Geno Auriemma.