Geno Auriemma Teases Azzi Fudd's Return to UConn Starting Lineup
Potential pig attacks aside, the UConn Huskies women's basketball team has been cruising to start the 2024-25 NCAA season.
The No. 2 ranked team in the country has shown exactly why they're well deserving of that ranking, as every one of their six wins to this point has been by double-digit points.
Thus far, the Huskies have been led on offense by Paige Bueckers, who is averaging 22 points per game. This comes as no surprise given that Bueckers has been one of college basketball's best players for years and is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
It's also little surprise that UConn star Azzi Fudd has been effective since returning on November 20 from the ACL injury she suffered last season. However, some fans were surely expecting Fudd to assume a spot in UConn's starting rotation upon her return to the court.
But that has not been the case, as Fudd has been coming off of the bench and averaging 20 minutes per game in her three contests.
It seems inevitable that legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma will place Fudd in the starting lineup eventually. And a quote he had on Monday makes it seem like that time is now.
The Hartford Courant's Emily Adams posted on X, "Will Azzi Fudd return to the starting lineup for UConn tomorrow vs Holy Cross after her performance in the Bahamas?
"'I think that’s a good assumption,' Geno Auriemma says with a wink."
Will Azzi Fudd return to the starting lineup for UConn tomorrow vs Holy Cross after her performance in the Bahamas?
— Emily Adams (@eaadams6) December 2, 2024
“I think that’s a good assumption,” Geno Auriemma says with a wink.
It sounds like Fudd's return to UConn's starting five will arrive during their game against Holy Cross. And this timing is great, as it will hopefully help Fudd get up to speed for UConn's tough slate of games in December.
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.