When Azzi Fudd announced she would return to UConn for another season instead of entering the 2025 WNBA Draft, it raised more than a few eyebrows. Many expected her to take the next step in her career alongside teammates Paige Bueckers, Kaitlyn Chen, and Aubrey Griffin.
But as it turns out, her decision wasn’t about hesitation — it was about honesty, and it came directly from Geno Auriemma.
Why Did Azzi Fudd Not Declare for the 2025 Draft?
Auriemma is known for his straightforward approach with his students. Ask any UConn alum, and they will tell you how his recruitment pitch has maintained the same brutally honest stance over the years–UConn does not need them, they need UConn.
It is the same honesty that convinced the likes of Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Diana Taurasi to come on board and eventually made national champions out of them.
In a recent interview with UConn alum and basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo, Fudd revealed the conversation that ultimately shaped her decision to stay in Storrs.
“I had a really great talk with Coach [Auriemma] about it… He said, ‘You’re four years here, you’ve played five games where you really played to your full potential… that’s not enough. You’d be doing yourself a disservice, whatever team in the W[NBA] a disservice–they wouldn’t know the player they’re really getting. You owe it to yourself to have a full season of playing “Azzi Fudd” basketball and reach your full potential at UConn.’ I agreed.”
After battling through a series of injuries and setbacks, Fudd is entering her final year at UConn, prepared to defend the national title. She is projected to be among the top three picks next year in several mock drafts. One wonders if her stock would have been as high if she had left school after last season.
A Brief Look at Azzi Fudd’s UConn Career and Injuries
Arriving at UConn as the No. 1 prospect in 2021, Azzi Fudd had a tough time staying on the court. She missed multiple games as a freshman due to a foot injury but finished the season with impressive averages of 12.1 points and 2.7 rebounds over 25 games.
Next year, she hurt her right knee during a game against Notre Dame. She was sidelined for five weeks despite a great start to her sophomore season, when she scored at least 24 points in four of her first six games. She injured the same knee upon her return and ended up playing only 15 games.
Then came the ACL and medial meniscus tear on the same right knee. She showed her true mettle last season, saving some of her best performances for March Madness. She scored her 1,000th career point in the National Championship Game against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina squad and was awarded the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.