| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
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| Position | Forward |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Sarah Strong is an American basketball player who attends Grace Christian School in Sanford, North Carolina. She is one of the top recruits of the 2024 class.
Strong played her freshman year at Fuquay-Varina High School in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, and averaged 25 points and 19 rebounds per game. [1] After that season, she won three consecutive NCISAA state titles for Grace Christian School in Sanford, North Carolina, going 91–4 over three years and finishing on an undefeated streak of 41 games. [2] [3] She averaged 21.0 points, 16.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game in her senior year in 2023–24. [4] She was named North Carolina Miss Basketball in 2023 and 2024 and was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Girls Game. [4] She was named the Naismith High School Player of the Year in 2024, becoming the first North Carolinian to be so honored. [5]
Strong was ranked as the No. 1 recruit of the class of 2024 by ESPN. [6]
In 3x3 basketball, Strong won gold with the United States at the 2022 and 2023 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. [7]
Strong's parents both played basketball: her father, Danny, for NC State, and her mother, Allison Feaster, for Harvard and professionally, later joining the Boston Celtics front office. [4] [2]
Fuquay-Varina is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner, and north of the Harnett County town of Angier and west of the unincorporated community of Willow Springs. The population was 17,937 at the 2010 census, and estimated at 36,736 as of July 2021. The hyphenated name attests to the town's history as two separate towns. Fuquay Springs and Varina merged in 1963 to create the modern town. Economically, the town initially grew due to tobacco trade and agriculture, but has seen recent population growth and real estate development due to its proximity to Research Triangle Park.
Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach who is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head coach of another U.S. gold-medal winning team. Staley was elected to carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. After playing point guard for the University of Virginia under Debbie Ryan, and winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she went on to play professionally in the American Basketball League and the WNBA. In 2011, fans named Staley one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. Staley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Cardinal Gibbons High School (CGHS) is a private coeducational college-preparatory Catholic high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cardinal Gibbons and St. Thomas More Academy are the only Catholic high schools in Raleigh, and two of three high schools in the Diocese of Raleigh.
Fuquay-Varina High School (FVHS) is a public high school in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The current principal is Robert James, who took that position in 2022. FVHS was named a "School of Distinction" in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Stefanie Dolson is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted sixth overall in the 2014 WNBA draft. Dolson played center for the UConn women's basketball team and won back-to-back national championships in 2013 and 2014. She won a gold medal in Women's 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Harry Lee Giles III is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.
A'ja Riyadh Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Wilson played for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 2017, and won the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player award. In 2018, she won a record third straight SEC Player of the Year award, leading South Carolina to a record fourth straight SEC Tournament Championship, becoming the all-time leading scorer in South Carolina women's basketball history, and was a consensus first-team All-American for the third consecutive season. Wilson swept all National Player of the Year awards as the best player in Women's College basketball for 2018. In the 2018 WNBA draft, she was drafted first overall by the Aces.
Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of college basketball and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year.
Anneli Maley is an Australian professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She is also contracted with the Perth Redbacks of the NBL1 West. She made her WNBL debut in 2016 and then spent two seasons in the United States playing college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and TCU Horned Frogs. With the Bendigo Spirit in 2022, she was named the WNBL Most Valuable Player.
Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. She is the NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, the Pac-12 Conference all-time leader in assists, and the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Christyn Williams is an American women's basketball player. She was drafted by the Washington Mystics. She played college basketball at the University of Connecticut (UConn). She played in high school for Central Arkansas Christian School in North Little Rock, Arkansas. A five-star recruit and one of the most decorated high school basketball players in history, Williams rose to national acclaim after winning the 2018 WBCA National Player of the Year award, the 2018 Naismith National Player of the Year award the 2018 Gatorade National Player of the Year award, and the 2018 USA Today Player of the Year award. Williams also was named a McDonald's All-American, where she was named the game's MVP after scoring 22 points and leading the West team to an 82-79 victory. Williams was awarded the Morgan Wootten Award, which is given each year to "the McDonald's All American who best exhibits outstanding character, leadership and the values of a student-athlete in the classroom and the community". Williams was also named to the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic team.
Paige Madison Bueckers is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference.
Azzi Fudd is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. She attended St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and won national player of the year honors. Fudd was on the UConn team that reached the national championship game as a freshman.
Aliyah Boston is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She plays the power forward and center positions. She was named 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote and the AP Rookie of the Year. She played college basketball at the University of South Carolina.
Cameron Lee Brink is an American college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal of the Pac-12 Conference. She attended Mountainside High School and Southridge High School, both in her hometown of Beaverton, Oregon, where she was a McDonald's All-American and ranked the number three player in her class by ESPN.
Hailey Van Lith is an American college basketball player for the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). She previously played for the Louisville Cardinals.
Kira Carroll "Kiki" Rice is an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference. She played for Sidwell Friends School at the high school level, where she was one of the top recruits in her class and earned national player of the year honors as a senior.
Elizabeth Ann Kitley is an American college basketball player for the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Judea Skies "JuJu" Watkins is an American college basketball player for the USC Trojans of the Pac-12 Conference. She graduated from Sierra Canyon School in her hometown of Los Angeles, where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and earned national high school player of the year honors. Watkins led the United States to gold medals at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup and the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship, being named most valuable player (MVP) of each tournament.
Chloe Kitts is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
