Coming off a national championship with the UConn Huskies, Azzi Fudd is ready to lead the team to the top of women’s college basketball again, although this time she won’t have her best partner in crime by her side.
Paige Bueckers left after last season’s championship game and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, joining a Dallas Wings team that welcomed her with open arms.
Meanwhile, Fudd is back in Connecticut to start preparations for the 2025-26 season that will present new challenges for Geno Auriemma’s team. Fudd is entering her final season, and she wants to leave the competition on a high note.
Azzi Fudd details the differences of playing without Paige Bueckers
After averaging 13.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last campaign, she will be given the keys to the car, alongside Sarah Strong, to lead the Huskies to the promised land for a second consecutive year.
During a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s “Around the WNBA” podcast, Fudd discussed how different it would be for her to be on the court without Bueckers by her side.
“It’s definitely going to be different, but it’s going to be great,” Fudd. “We have some new pieces coming in and I mean just from this Summer, I got chills I was so excited with how things went so to get more time with them to really build our chemistry and build what we’re working on as a team, it’s going to be another great year.”
They could reunite next season in the WNBA, and perhaps on the same team if things fall into place for Fudd and Bueckers.
