Freshmen Liam McNeeley and Sarah Strong thriving under the pressure of playing for UConn

By JIM FULLER The Associated Press

UConn forward Liam McNeeley reacts in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jessica Hill]

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Two of the most important players for the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams in the early stages of the college basketball season have been freshmen Liam McNeeley for the No. 25 men’s program and Sarah Strong for the second-ranked women’s basketball team. McNeeley and Strong are the second-leading scorers on teams expected to contend for national titles. Both the women’s and men’s programs have challenging games this weekend. The women’s team faces No. 22 Louisville in New York on Saturday while the men’s team is at unranked Texas on Sunday.