AZZI FUDD LOOKS over her playing cards and refers to my handwritten directions for a sport referred to as Dinger that she has by no means performed earlier than this early October morning. Sporting grey sweatpants with a pink sweatshirt at UConn’s follow facility, she remembers how she spent her childhood summers enjoying Uno and different card video games at her grandparents’ lake home in Minnesota. She tells me how she rapidly picked up the sport of Spades final summer time whereas she was ready in an airport lounge in China with Stephen Curry.
Fudd squints at her hand, seems up after which begins laying down playing cards, one after the opposite.
The 5-foot-11 guard led UConn to its twelfth nationwide championship final season and was named Most Excellent Participant of the Closing 4. Since then, she wowed at New York Style Week, launched a podcast, took a Caribbean cruise and hobnobbed with Curry on the opposite aspect of the globe.
She spent the summer time a lot as she has spent each different summer time, working to excellent a sport that has peaked principally in quiet gyms in entrance of well-trained eyes.
Now, after deciding the WNBA can wait, Fudd is again in Storrs, dropping playing cards as in the event that they’re burning her fingers. She needs all of the minutes she will be able to get throughout her remaining season in school after knee and foot accidents reduce quick her first three years. She needs to assist UConn grow to be the primary repeat champion for the reason that Huskies gained 4 in a row from 2013 to 2016. “Clearly,” she says. She needs to get extra vocal on the court docket and extra versatile with the ball.
Largely, she needs to point out the world the Azzi Fudd that solely a choose few have seen. “Hearts,” Fudd calls out.
Barely 5 minutes into our sport, she lays down her remaining card. She smiles.
“Completed.”
IN MARCH, THE weekend earlier than the 2025 NCAA match began, Fudd drove out to her grandparents’ home in rural Connecticut, not too removed from Storrs, to fulfill her mother and father.
She walked into the sunroom of the “cottage” the place her dad, Tim, was working. She instructed her mother and father she had decided about her future.
Azzi had already spoken with UConn coach Geno Auriemma about her plans. He had requested her questions on her targets. What the advantages had been if she left UConn for the WNBA after the season ended. What they might be if she stayed.
“And thru all these question-and-answers that we requested, that I requested, she stated, ‘I am not prepared,'” Auriemma says. “‘I have never performed sufficient basketball to really feel assured about going there and enjoying on the highest stage.'”
In her first three seasons at UConn, Fudd performed in simply 42 video games. She harm a foot as a freshman and aggravated a knee as a sophomore. She tore her proper ACL (for the second time) and the medial meniscus as a junior and missed all however two video games. Her fourth season had been more healthy. Heading into the 2025 NCAA match, she had performed in 28 of the Huskies’ 34 video games, averaging 12.8 factors and taking pictures 43.4% from 3-point vary.
She was more healthy however not essentially happier.
“There was a part the place I simply did not take pleasure in enjoying,” Fudd says. “Which was bizarre, as a result of I by no means actually felt that means.”
She did not assume she was making the precise reads. Photographs weren’t falling. Her confidence was plummeting.
Fudd needed to return to Storrs to proceed to hone her sport and her mind, and that was the message she deliberate to ship to her mother and father.
Tim and Katie usually focus on amongst themselves what they see of their daughter on the court docket. They seen occasions when she disappeared in a nook and appeared to take herself out of a sport. They puzzled how her restoration was progressing each mentally and bodily. They had been curious how their daughter felt about transferring on to the WNBA versus operating it again in Connecticut for yet another season.
“We’re not even having these conversations through the season,” Tim says. “However we’re sort of permitting her to sort of determine this out. And likewise, we do not hear about stuff that is happening. She would not inform us issues. She’s very protecting of the sanctity of what they’ve happening, and he or she retains that separate.”
By way of tears, Fudd instructed her mother and father concerning the struggles she’d had that season, how she wasn’t trusting her knee and her restoration. The wobble in December in opposition to Louisville that knocked her out for 3 video games with a knee sprain gave her pause. She felt not sure, tentative on the court docket for a lot of the season.
“It was like, ‘What am I even doing out right here?'” Fudd says. “‘Why even sub in?'”
Tim had seen that model of his daughter earlier than, again when he was on the employees at St. John’s Faculty Excessive Faculty in Washington, D.C. It was throughout her senior season, in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of colleges had been closed, video games had been unsure, and Azzi was nonetheless working her means again from tearing an ACL and MCL within the spring of her sophomore yr.
St. John’s traveled to Richmond, Virginia, and was in a good sport with 10 seconds left. Fudd, the No. 1 recruit within the nation, caught the ball on the prime of the important thing. “Her spot,” Tim says. As a substitute of letting the ball fly, she handed it to a freshman who fumbled it out of bounds. St. John’s misplaced the sport.
“I used to be similar to, ‘What the F are you doing?'” Tim remembers. “‘You handed the ball to a freshman? That is a shot you have made time and time once more. That is unacceptable.'”
After they left the health club, Tim took Azzi’s hand and requested if she was hungry. With so many eating places closed, they went to Walmart and located some meals to warmth up. After they received again into the automotive, Tim requested Azzi if she was mad at him. Azzi instructed him no, that she wanted the robust love.
Within the cottage that March afternoon, she not wanted that push from her mother and father. She’d arrived on the choice herself. She wasn’t completed with school basketball, however the uncertainty, the hiding, she was completed with that.
“You are grateful that you simply undergo that,” Fudd says, “as a result of then you definitely notice simply how resilient or how sturdy you’re and what you are able to after the actual fact.”
Her mother and father noticed the arrogance develop inside her throughout that dialog. They watched her transfer on in actual time.
“The tears, they’re drying up as she’s speaking,” Tim says. “‘That is the previous me. That is the brand new me.'”
“‘That is NCAA match me,'” Katie provides.
Through the NCAA match, Fudd averaged 17.5 factors and three.0 steals, whereas taking pictures 44.4% from past the arc. She struggled taking pictures the ball throughout each the Candy 16 and Elite Eight however recovered to drop 19 factors within the nationwide semifinals and 24 within the championship sport. She was named the Most Excellent Participant after Connecticut’s 82-59 win over South Carolina within the remaining.
“The important thing for this season is having the Closing 4 Azzi be persistently there for 5 months,” Auriemma says. “And that is the subsequent part in her transition from being who she was to who [and] what she needs to be in her final yr right here.”
It was a glimpse of the participant her dad knew was at all times there. And the participant he expects to see all through the upcoming season.
“On the finish of the championship sport, I used to be like, ‘All of you haven’t seen it, none of you’ve gotten seen it,'” Tim says. “That’s Azzi Fudd.”
IT’S A MONTH after Fudd lifted the championship trophy in Tampa, Florida, and he or she is sweating and sprinting in a New York health club. Famend expertise coach Chris Brickley, who additionally works with the likes of Kevin Durant, Trae Younger and Paige Bueckers, is operating her by way of certainly one of his go-to drills.
Fudd catches the ball within the nook. As quickly because the ball hits her palms, she is able to shoot. After letting it fly, she sprints to the alternative nook for an additional catch-and-shoot. Then again to the opposite nook for a dribble pull-up. She crosses the court docket once more for an additional pull-up. On her third journey to every nook, she performs reside one-on-one in opposition to a defender. Then she repeats the drill across the arc. She will get three factors for every 3-pointer made, two factors for the pull-ups and one for scoring on the defender. Forty-two is the best potential rating. Brickley requires the NBA gamers he trains to attain 28 factors earlier than they’ll transfer on to a distinct drill.
“It is six, seven minutes of straight operating, taking pictures, reside basketball,” Brickley says. “Tremendous exhausting drill.”
That is Fudd’s third consecutive day with Brickley. They have been doing two classes per day, and Brickley expects Fudd to begin to really feel the consequences of the exercises. Her first time by way of the drill, she scores 27. Brickley runs her by way of it once more. This time her rating is a 26. Fudd does it once more. She scores 27 once more. On the sixth time, she breaks by way of for a 36.
“Any participant that I’ve ever labored with at that time could be like, ‘All proper, immediately I could not get it,'” Brickley says. “That takes some psychological toughness and ridiculous mindset to even push your self by way of that a lot to get that quantity.”
This model of Azzi Fudd is known in Brickley’s health club and within the health club of Brandon Payne, who trains Curry and started working with Fudd after she and Cameron Brink grew to become the primary two women to attend the SC30 Choose Camp in 2018.
Fudd stood out to Payne instantly. The employees was organising a scrimmage, and Fudd and Brink got the choice to compete in opposition to the boys. Amongst them had been future NBA gamers Anthony Edwards, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Inexperienced and Cole Anthony.
“Azzi instantly hopped in, and never solely did she hop in, however she was attacking, and he or she was scoring proper off the bat,” Payne says. “I knew proper then, instantly, that is anyone that is completely different. She was nonetheless a sophomore in highschool. And she or he’s hopping on the market and competing and never solely seems the half however is having nice success instantly.”
That was the Azzi Fudd who grew to become the primary highschool sophomore to win Gatorade Nationwide Participant of the 12 months. That was the Azzi Fudd who had full confidence in her knees. That was the Azzi Fudd who regarded like she could possibly be a a number of Nationwide Participant of the 12 months candidate in school. That was the Azzi Fudd earlier than the accidents gave technique to doubt.
“No one trains higher, no person approaches each drill higher, nobody offers greater than the trouble that she offers you each single day,” Auriemma says. “So from that respect, when she’s had the chance to, and the flexibility to, she’s simply been unbelievably good. It simply hasn’t carried over into video games since you want quite a lot of game-time motion. You’ll want to play rather a lot with a purpose to actually play at a sure stage.”
Fudd has proven flashes. She scored 25 factors on 7-of-9 taking pictures from 3-point vary as a freshman in opposition to Tennessee. She opened her sophomore season with a stretch of video games wherein she hung 32 factors on Texas, one other 32 on NC State after which 24 factors on Iowa, all of whom had been ranked within the prime 10. And, in fact, there was the nationwide championship sport the place she helped UConn break away from South Carolina with 13 first-half factors and was named Closing 4 Most Excellent Participant.
“Every year there have been glimpses,” Auriemma says. “I do not even know that she has seen the Azzi that could possibly be for an prolonged time frame. I am actually hoping that this yr she’s capable of maintain it and keep wholesome and keep in that second the place she looks like she’s received every part beneath management.”
FUDD WRITES AFFIRMATIONS earlier than most video games. She sits on the bus, takes out her telephone and jots her ideas on the Notes app.
The phrases remind her of her work and her expertise.
“I can do that,” she says. “I am good at this,” she says. “I am going to do that,” she says.
Final season, she began working with a sports activities psychologist for the primary time. She realized that the way in which she communicates with herself can complicate her mission. “I discovered I decide myself rather a lot,” she says. “So I have been engaged on noticing issues and never judging, and having rational responses as a substitute of emotional responses.”
As a substitute of specializing in one thing being “incorrect” when she misses just a few photographs, she focuses on how she missed them. Why she missed them. Had been they lengthy? Had been they quick? Did she get sufficient elevate? How can she alter her actions to be extra profitable?
“These sorts of issues had been useful,” she says. “And simply discovering other ways to deal with conditions. I really feel like that is been such a sport changer.”
Generally the arrogance boosters will be exterior as properly.
In August, she went to China with Curry to assist run his camp and attend CurryCon. She was shocked not solely by the outpouring for Curry, but in addition that some folks knew who she was and admired her sport. Individuals camped out on the resort health club the place Curry and Fudd had been staying within the hopes of seeing the NBA star. When Fudd got here down one morning, followers gave her items and requested for her autograph.
“It was simply this aha second of, ‘Wow, possibly I’m somewhat standard,'” Katie Fudd says. “To me that is a blossoming of realizing how good she really is.”
With a microphone taped to her cheek whereas serving to to guide camp classes, Fudd more and more grew to become extra snug within the highlight.
“Generally, I do sit again and I am like, ‘How is my life actual?'” Fudd says. “I’m so blessed, so fortunate.”
These good vibes have shot at translating to the court docket, Brickley says.
“When she’s assured, in house, wholesome, I actually do not assume that there is anybody in ladies’s basketball, interval, that may shoot the ball higher than she will be able to shoot it,” he says. “I feel she’s going to complete off school on a extremely excessive word.”
AZZI TOLD TIM earlier than the NCAA match that she needed to have a good time a championship on a seashore someplace with a glass of champagne. There was one different factor she needed to do that previous summer time, and that was go on trip together with her household. Each of her youthful brothers are in school, although one is close by in New London, Connecticut. Her mother and father come to each sport, and her grandparents are at most dwelling video games, but it surely’s uncommon that they are all capable of spend time collectively.
“I could not inform you the final time that all of us sat down and had dinner collectively,” Fudd says.
Till their summer time cruise. That they had dinner collectively each night time. They dressed up; Azzi bullied Katie out of her typical basketball shorts and T-shirts and into Azzi’s personal outfits.
“She’d be like, ‘Severely?'” Azzi says. “I am like, ‘We’re on a cruise. Nobody is aware of you. Work it.'”
“I disliked all of them,” Katie says. “Particularly the one the place the highest was tied on.”
These are the sorts of moments Azzi cherishes which have waned throughout school. The cruise additionally was a real break earlier than returning to her on-court and off-court commitments. She rested, recharged and tried completely different cocktails with dinners that detoured from her strict nutritious weight loss program.
On the horizon, there’s additionally vital uncertainty in Fudd’s future. She plans to play within the WNBA subsequent yr, assuming there is a season because the gamers and league negotiate a brand new CBA. The place she’s going to play is an open query. Caitlin Clark and Bueckers had been locks on the No. 1 choose prior to now two drafts, however 2026 appears a lot murkier. Fudd could possibly be a lottery choose, however she may simply as simply slide. ESPN’s most up-to-date mock draft initiatives Fudd to the Seattle Storm with the No. 3 choose because the second guard off the board, behind TCU’s Olivia Miles. However the lottery can’t be held, nor can free company occur, till the CBA will get labored out.
As she considers the methods her life will change with the WNBA’s summer time schedule, she smiles and remembers her days as a child, when she spent components of her summer time in Minnesota visiting her grandparents. Camp Fudd was all about household, card video games, the lake, tubing and time collectively.
“I’ll miss having August in Minnesota,” Fudd says. “However I am nonetheless going to attempt to determine it out, the place I can not less than make it to the cabin as soon as as a result of that’s certainly one of my favourite locations, ever.”
Minnesota holds Chicago’s lottery choose, which I level out. Fudd doesn’t take the bait.
“Is {that a} jack?” she asks, pointing to the cardboard on the desk.
FUDD JOGS TOWARD teammate Sarah Sturdy because the ahead dribbles towards the highest of the important thing throughout UConn’s exhibition sport in opposition to Southern Connecticut State. It is UConn’s first possession, and Fudd accepts a handoff from Sturdy. She instantly squares her physique to the ring and lets the shot fly from NBA vary. She misses, however taking the shot indicators her aggression.
Her subsequent alternative comes two sport minutes later. The sport is tied 2-2. Fudd passes the ball to Sturdy on the elbow. Fudd runs to the wing to obtain one other handoff from Sturdy. Seeing her defender go beneath Sturdy reasonably than excessive, Fudd stays behind the 3-point line. As quickly because the ball touches Fudd’s palms, she explodes upward right into a soar shot, holding her follow-through because the ball splashes by way of the online.
“She’s like that duck swimming throughout the water,” Katie says. “It seems good and easy, however beneath the legs are going, however you do not see it.”
Her teammates seen her newfound willingness to hunt her shot and take it with even a glimmer of house as quickly as they returned to campus for fall pickup in opposition to follow gamers.
“She simply got here out trying very assertive and probably not hesitant,” says Sturdy, the 2025-26 Large East preseason participant of the yr. “She knew the place she needed the ball and the way she needed to attain it.”
Sturdy additionally was stunned by what she was listening to.
“Simply seeing her speaking extra was actually, actually stunning,” Sturdy says.
That is not a task Fudd ever wanted to fill as a Husky. Earlier than, she may maintain her head down and lead by instance. Nobody was anticipating to listen to from her when Bueckers and Nika Muhl had been round.
However after follow someday, Fudd went to Sturdy’s room. Auriemma had been harping on management in follow, and each of them knew they wanted to step up, although it did not come naturally to both of them.
“We each agreed that individuals are in all probability going to look as much as us,” Sturdy says. “And the way we in all probability must do a greater job main on the court docket and simply getting the reps at it in follow so we will do it naturally within the video games.”
When the Huskies, who open the season Tuesday in opposition to Louisville (ESPN, 5:30 p.m. ET) because the preseason No. 1, want a basket, Fudd can be referred to as upon to take the ball and make the precise learn. She did not flip into a degree guard over the summer time, however in essential moments, Fudd is more likely to have the ball in her palms considerably extra, a accountability that had fallen on Bueckers’ shoulders.
“I have been saying this about our guards generally, and now Azzi specifically,” Auriemma says. “I feel they had been bailed out rather a lot throughout their careers right here. In the event that they did it that night time, nice. In the event that they did not, that is OK. We’d nonetheless have loads to win with. These guys have benefited from all these different guys which have been round, and now it will be an actual rising factor for Azzi to tackle that position that these different guys had.”
FUDD SMIRKS AS she lays down her second-to-last card.
“One card,” she declares.
Fudd may be on the precipice of beating me at my household card sport, however I can nonetheless make it tough. I alter the go well with.
“You by no means have hearts,” I inform her.
Fudd rolls her eyes and attracts. She modifies the go well with to spades. After choosing up just a few playing cards, I get it to diamonds. Fudd would not have any of these both. Now, she’s actually choosing up playing cards.
“There isn’t any means,” she says as she continues to attract. “You are dishonest.”
That is the rubber match to resolve the general Dinger winner. It has been a marathon, with Fudd declaring at one level that she was “so sick of this sport.” Actually, she was aggravated she hadn’t gained but.
Fudd must be someplace in a couple of minutes. She is decided to complete. “Go quick,” she tells me.
Our banter stops. The clock ticks as we lay down our playing cards. Diamonds. Hearts. A queen. Draw two. Spades. Golf equipment. A wild-card jack. The clock runs out with each of us nonetheless holding playing cards.
“That was enjoyable,” I say as I stuff the playing cards again into the field and Fudd will get as much as depart.
“It might have been extra enjoyable,” Fudd solutions, flashing a large smile, “if I beat you.”
Wardrobe styling by Sydnee Paige; Hair styling by Hayley Logan; Make-up styling by Claire Malley. Look 1: High by Ksubi, pants by Maniere de voir, sneakers by Aldo, ear cuff by BaubleBar. Look 2: Jacket and quick set by yllw label, earrings by gorjana, ear cuff by BaubleBar.