Women's Fastbreak On SI

UConn's Geno Auriemma Notes Why Azzi Fudd's Breakout vs South Carolina Made Him Proud

UCinn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma discussed why he's proud of Azzi Fudd after his team's win vs. South Carolina.

Grant Young

Nov 20, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma waves to the crowd before a game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma waves to the crowd before a game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images / Mark Smith-Imagn Images

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team played what was unquestionably the best all-around performance of their 2024-25 NCAA season on Sunday, as they dominated against Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks squad to secure an 87-58 win.

While just about everybody on UConn's roster played great during this game, their top performer was Azzi Fudd, who finished the game with 28 points (including 18 in the third quarter alone) on 11-22 shooting and 6-10 from three-point range, along with amassing 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

This is the second consecutive game where Fudd caught fire, as she scored a career-high 34 points with 8 threes during their win over St. John's on February 12.

Fudd producing like this will be crucial for UConn's hopes of producing a national championship this season. And when speaking with the media after the game, Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma delivered a clear message about what this means for her.

"This was a big moment for her," Auriemma said, per an X post from Emily Adams of the Hartford Courant. "It really goes a long way towards pushing her forward. I'm sure she had some doubts of, do I still have it in me? So I was really proud of her."

Fudd has overcome a ton of adversity to make it to this point, most notably the serious knee injury she suffered before last season began.

Now Fudd appears poised to help UConn make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, and perhaps secure the program's first NCAA Championship since 2016.

Recommended Reading:

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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.

Home/News