Fudd plays in front of hometown fans for last time in UConn uniform
WASHINGTON (AP) — Azzi Fudd was swarmed by fans seeking selfies and autographs as she walked off the court at the Washington Mystics' home arena, her last time playing in front of a hometown crowd in a UConn uniform.
A star on the local hoops scene since she was named the national girls' player of the year as a sophomore at St. John's College High School in 2019, Fudd indulged in a bit of nostalgia before the top-ranked Huskies improved to 20-0 with Thursday night's 83-42 dismantling of Georgetown.
"I was actually watching one of my old high school games over break and the team we were playing against, it was like five D-I players," Fudd said. "To look at that and to see just, like, that's who you're competing against. ... That's not something a lot of players get to experience in high school."
Fudd, who grew up in Arlington, Virginia, had her parents - mom Katie played at Georgetown - and three of her grandparents in attendance, with several in her cheering section wearing T-shirts that read, "Fudd Around and Find Out."
"They don’t come to too many games, don’t travel as much," Fudd said of her grandparents. "I think this was my grandma’s second in-person game with me actually playing. So definitely very grateful and I feel very loved today."
Now 23, Fudd endured the first of a series of major knee injuries as a high school junior, but she stayed healthy and realized her potential last season, even outplaying teammate Paige Bueckers to earn Most Outstanding Player honors in the women's Final Four as UConn won the national title.
She returned for her final year of eligibility and has expanded her all-around game as part of a dominant Huskies team led by sophomore Sarah Strong.
Against Georgetown, Fudd hunted shots early, perhaps pressing a bit in front of a pro-UConn crowd that also included the Mystics' Georgia Amoore. She missed her first seven 3-point attempts but still finished with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
"She's actually not shot the ball the way she's normally shot it over the course of the time that she's played at UConn," coach Geno Auriemma said. "When she was younger, I think it would get to her and she would put a lot of pressure on herself.
"I don’t think her going 3 for 12 from the 3-point line today made her happy. But she was happy that she was able to have a tremendous game otherwise. And I think maybe in past years, she would have struggled a lot more with that. So she’s got a much broader view now."
The WNBA draft awaits this spring for Fudd, and Auriemma, in his 41st season, appreciates the grit she's shown since she was considered a can't-miss prospect at age 16.
"I get a lot of satisfaction when you see a player, even freshman year, whenever it was, and everybody starts telling you how much potential this kid has, what a great player she is. And sometimes that puts a lot of pressure on someone to have to try to live up to those things. And it can go sideways and it gets to them," Auriemma said. "She’s managed to handle it all exceptionally well."
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