While she prepares for her final season at UConn, star guard Azzi Fudd shares details of her recruitment process and how different programs tried to lure her. Fudd comes off a national championship season in Paige Bueckers’ final campaign with the Huskies, and now she’ll be the leader of the team.
Prior to her commitment to Connecticut, Fudd visited different campuses, where she was welcomed with open arms, as several top schools wanted to secure her services.
The senior guard had a different approach when it came to visits, as he went to different schools while on road trips to know how things worked at those places when they weren’t prepared to receive her.
Fudd’s family used to drive with her to AAU tournaments, which allowed them to check some of the places that showed interest in her. One of them was UCLA, which left a good impression on Fudd.
Azzi Fudd praises UCLA while remembering visit to campus
During Friday’s edition of her “Fudd Around and Find Out” podcast, the Arlington, Virginia native recalled that she was impressed by the way UCLA tried to recruit her.
Azzi Fudd #35 of the UConn Huskies looks on in the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on April 06, 2025.
“When I went to UCLA, someone actually stopped me on a golf cart, showed me a magazine with my picture in it and said, ‘Are you Fudd?’” Fudd said. “UCLA needs props, because their recruiting was top-notch. They were really creative with what they would send and do.”
She added that her family made sure to drive her to different schools, even the ones that weren’t interested in her services. She credited that approach in helping her decide on her college team.
Fudd joined the Huskies ahead of the 2021-22 season, and has played 76 games in the last four seasons, averaging 13.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. She just won a championship and is eager to repeat before going to the WNBA.