Geno Auriemma Explains Excitement About Azzi Fudd's UConn Return Decision
Over the past few weeks and months, UConn Huskies superstar guard Azzi Fudd has had a difficult decision looming in her head: Whether she should declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft after her senior season ends or return to UConn for one more campaign.
It was clear that UConn head coach Auriemma wanted Fudd to come back. In a March 17 article from CT Insider's Maggie Vanoni, the legendary coach was quoted as saying. "Who knows? I think she will. I think Azzi will [return]. But again, I'm not the number one voice in their ear anymore, like I used to be. Now, there's a lot of voices.
"I'm hopeful, I think," Auriemma continued. "Besides, if she stays one more year, she'll make more money next year when she goes into the draft because they have a new collective bargaining agreement coming up that should pay them more money than if she goes at the end of this year."
Auriemma's hunch proved accurate, as Fudd announced on March 25 that she intended to forgo the WNBA Draft and return to UConn next year.
Auriemma opened up about Fudd's decision in an ensuing ESPN article.
"Having someone of Azzi's ability and the way she can just control a game, she just hasn't had an opportunity, at this point, to fully show who she is, what she can do, what impact she can have on our program and on college basketball," Auriemma told ESPN.
"So hopefully being here another year, having an injury-free year, knock on wood, can remind everybody this is the Azzi Fudd that was coming out of high school, and can we get a full year out of that? I'm as excited as anybody, our fans, anybody to see what can happen."
Geno: “So hopefully being here another year, having an injury free year knock-on-wood, can remind everybody this is the Azzi Fudd that was coming out of high school, and can we get a full year out of that? I'm as excited as anybody to see what can happen." https://t.co/wRM2UFOKDm
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 25, 2025
Fudd leading the Huskies next season alongside Sarah Strong immediately makes them a 2026 NCAA National Championship contender.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.