Azzi Fudd’s Two-Way Play Revives UConn Basketball Performance

Azzi Fudd, the star guard of the UConn women’s basketball team, recently broke out of a tough shooting slump that dragged on through January. She decided to take a more well-rounded approach to her game, and it’s paid off in a big way.

Fudd has not only found her scoring groove again but also developed into a more versatile player. You could really see this shift in UConn’s recent wins over No. 19 Tennessee and DePaul, where Fudd’s impact on both ends of the floor stood out.

Azzi Fudd’s Defensive Masterclass

In that DePaul game, Fudd made her mark defensively right from the start. DePaul guard Natiah Nelson barely had a chance before Fudd was in her face, swiping the ball and setting up an easy layup for UConn.

That was just one of three steals she grabbed in the first quarter alone. UConn crushed DePaul 86-40, and Fudd led the team with 25 points, knocking down 59% of her shots and going 4-for-6 from deep.

Coach Auriemma’s Insight

UConn coach Geno Auriemma thinks Fudd’s turnaround comes from focusing on more than just scoring. “She makes way more shots when she’s doing the other things, when she’s rebounding the ball, when she’s got assists, when she’s trying to strip guys bringing the ball on the floor,” Auriemma said.

This shift in mindset has helped Fudd find her rhythm again and contribute in bigger ways.

Overcoming the January Slump

Fudd’s jump shot is usually smooth as silk, but January was rough. She hit just 32.1% of her threes over eight games, way down from the 49.5% she posted earlier in the season.

Even so, she kept her cool. Auriemma encouraged her to focus on other parts of her game. “When she was younger, I think it would get to her and she would put a lot of pressure on herself,” he said. “Right now she’s found a lot of other things to do on the court.”

Back to Her Best

Now, two games into February, Fudd looks like herself again. She snapped out of her slump with a 27-point explosion against Tennessee, then dropped 25 more on DePaul.

She hit nine threes in those two games, matching her total from the previous five. DePaul coach Jill Pizzotti couldn’t help but gush, saying Fudd “looks physically great and could go forever.”

A Historic Season in the Making

Fudd’s on track for a historic final season with the Huskies. She’s a top-10 finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which goes to the nation’s best shooting guard.

She’s already made 246 threes in just 100 games, good enough for 10th on UConn’s all-time list. If she keeps this up, she could climb as high as fifth, especially if UConn makes another deep NCAA run.

Unprecedented Efficiency

She’s putting up career-best numbers: 49.2% from the field, 44.9% from three, and a wild 97.1% at the free-throw line. Only 11 players in women’s college basketball history have ever managed that, with Sue Bird being the only Husky in that club.

This season, though, Fudd’s thinking about more than just buckets as she gets ready for the WNBA Draft.

The Importance of Two-Way Play

Coach Auriemma gives a lot of credit to Fudd’s growing two-way game for pulling her out of that January funk. Before she torched DePaul, she had four steals and a block against Tennessee, helping hold star guard Talaysia Cooper to just eight points and zero made field goals after halftime.

Fudd’s averaging 2.4 steals per game—almost double her previous best—and she’s among the top 10 in the country in defensive win shares. Not bad for someone who started the year in a slump, right?

Auriemma’s Final Thoughts

*When you start focusing on the other parts of the game, everything kind of falls into place,* Auriemma said.

*It’s been, at least since the middle of last year, that Azzi’s defense has taken a huge jump from where it was the year before — her on-the-ball defense.*

*Off the ball she was always pretty good, but her being healthy and feeling comfortable, I think she’s become a way better defender than when she first started.*