NCAAW: Watch freshman phenoms Sarah Strong, Joyce Edwards

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They were born just four days apart 19 years ago. One from North Carolina, the other from South Carolina. One would go on to become Naismith High School Player of the Year and the No. 1 recruit in her class. The other would be named Gatorade National Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. They would share co-MVP honors at the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game.

And they would both commit to two of the definitional program’s in women’s college basketball, with Sarah Strong joining the UConn Huskies and Joyce Edwards becoming a South Carolina Gamecock. On Sunday, Feb. 16, the two meet for the first time as collegians, taking center stage in the latest chapter of UConn-South Carolina.

Of course, numerous storylines surround Sunday’s meeting between the No. 7 Huskies and No. 4 Gamecocks. There’s the two iconic Philly-born coaches. It’s the program of the 2010s versus the program of the 2020s. It’s a team led by the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft against the team defined by its depth. It’s a matchup between the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the NCAA’s NET rankings.

Those angles and more will be emphasized during ESPN’s College GameDay, which begins at 11 a.m. ET from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia before the game tips off at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.

But the most intriguing narrative, for now and later, is the battle between Strong and Edwards, as the two will fire the first salvos in a clash of the sport’s rising superstars.

Sarah’s the Strong-est Husky

Sarah Strong.

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

It took little time for Sarah Strong to emerge as an integral piece for UConn. Three games into her college career, she posted her first double-double. Four games in, she scored 20 points for the first time. In her 11th game, she posted a career-high 29 points. Overall, she has nine games of 20 or more points, shooting 57.3 percent from the field as she averages 16.1 points in 26 games started. She’s also averaging 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Strong not only has all but locked down National Freshman of the Year honors, but also belongs in the National Player of the Year conversation. She plays with a precocious composure, almost instantly earning the trust of the increasingly-curmudgeonly head coach Geno Auriemma, who already has forecasted a Breanna Stewart-like impact for his star freshman forward.

Sarah Strong is a top-10 candidate for the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award!

Sarah is the only freshman on the midseason list for the Miller Award, which goes to the nation’s top small forward. pic.twitter.com/A6zgvPFCz4

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 5, 2025

Strong is coming off one of her least productive games of the season, scoring just two points as she took only four shots in UConn’s blowout victory over St. John’s on Wednesday. (With a 34-point masterpiece from senior guard Azzi Fudd, the Huskies did not need Strong to do much heavy lifting).

On Sunday, however, UConn cannot expect to escape South Carolina with a win without a big game from Strong. A guard-heavy team, the Huskies will have little chance of competing with the Gamecocks unless Strong holds her own—and then some. Her ability to operate outside and inside on offense, comfortably combining with Paige Bueckers to facilitate or finish, will be necessary to cracking the South Carolina defense. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley cited Strong’s IQ, among other traits, when speaking about the challenges the Huskies will present.

Dawn Staley on what she sees from this year’s UConn team:

“I think they get more stuff of what they wanna get. It’s less relying on just Paige to do her thing. I think Strong gives them a lot of options because of her ability to score the ball.”@GamecockWBB | @wachfox pic.twitter.com/WraAJQngpx

— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) February 14, 2025

On the other end, Strong will be most responsible for preventing the Gamecocks from getting easy scores inside, especially off second-chance points. It’s a tall task, but one she has proved she’s more than capable of meeting.

South Carolina will re-Joyce

Florida v South Carolina — Joyce Edwards.

On the other side, trying to slow down Strong, will be Joyce Edwards.

Having joined a stacked South Carolina squad, where all but one player returned from last season’s national champions, Edwards has just one start in 25 games, instead becoming a part of the Gamecocks’ rocket-boosting bench. In just under 21 minutes per game, she’s averaging a team-leading 12.9 points, shooting 57.4 percent from the floor. She’s also collecting 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Edwards plays with a pulsating, powerful grace. She charges up and down the floor, yet executes intricate spins with a precision that shouldn’t be possible. It’s this dichotomy of a strength and finesse that makes her game captivating. And when it all comes together, her star power shines. That’s what unfolded against Florida on Thursday, when Edwards had her best game of the season in South Carolina’s dominating win. In just 19 minutes, she dropped 28 points, going 10-for-17 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line while also snagging five boards.

Edwards is five-tool player whose weapons are still being sharpened under the careful tutelage of Staley. The head coach even has praised her work ethic as “too much,” with Staley encouraging the freshman to pace herself. And while it’s probably unwise to doubt Staley’s judgement, Edwards’ in-season growth proves that her drive is paying dividends.

On Sunday, a fully-unleashed Edwards can help the Gamecocks run over the visiting Huskies, turning defensive stops into offensive scores with unmatched, overwhelming alacrity. It’s a feedback loop that will frustrate UConn and have the FAMs who fill Colonial Life Arena rocking towards a fifth-straight win over the visitors from Storrs.