Azzi Fudd, the formidable 5-foot-11 guard, is preparing for her final collegiate season at the University of Connecticut, aiming to deliver the sustained elite performance that has, until now, only appeared in flashes. Fresh off leading UConn to its 12th national championship and earning the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player honors, Fudd has made the decisive choice to defer her WNBA entry, signaling a profound commitment to her personal and athletic development in Storrs. Her decision stems from a candid assessment of her readiness, particularly after a collegiate career marred by significant injuries that impacted both her physical capabilities and mental fortitude.

The pivotal conversation unfolded in March, just before the 2025 NCAA tournament, at her grandparents’ house in rural Connecticut. Fudd informed her parents, Tim and Katie, of her intent to remain at UConn, a decision already conveyed to Head Coach Geno Auriemma. Auriemma, a veteran of collegiate basketball, had engaged Fudd in a thorough discussion regarding the merits and drawbacks of both paths. "I haven’t played enough basketball to feel confident about going there and playing at the highest level," Auriemma recounted Fudd’s rationale, highlighting her self-awareness regarding her injury-truncated career.

Fudd’s first three seasons at UConn were severely limited by health setbacks. As a freshman, she suffered a foot injury. Her sophomore year saw an aggravation of a knee issue. Most significantly, her junior season was cut short after just two games due to a torn right ACL – her second such injury – and a medial meniscus tear. While her fourth season proved healthier, participating in 28 of 34 games and averaging 12.8 points with 43.4% shooting from beyond the arc prior to the NCAA tournament, Fudd revealed a deeper struggle. "There was a phase where I just didn’t enjoy playing," she admitted, acknowledging a plummeting confidence fueled by missed shots and perceived incorrect reads. A knee sprain in December against Louisville, which sidelined her for three games, further exacerbated her tentativeness on the court.

This period of self-doubt was not entirely new. Her father, Tim, recalled a similar moment during her senior year of high school amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as she was recovering from a previous ACL/MCL tear. In a critical game, with St. John’s College High School trailing by two points with ten seconds left, Fudd, then the nation’s top recruit, passed up a potential game-winning shot from her preferred spot at the top of the key, deferring to a freshman who subsequently fumbled the ball out of bounds. The team lost. Tim confronted her, questioning the uncharacteristic pass. This incident underscored a pattern of hesitation that Fudd now openly acknowledges she is determined to overcome.

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The tears shed during her conversation with her parents in March marked a turning point. Her parents observed a palpable shift in her demeanor, with Tim noting, "The tears, they’re drying up as she’s talking. ‘That’s the old me. This is the new me.’" Katie added, "This is NCAA tournament me." Indeed, Fudd’s subsequent performance in the NCAA tournament was a testament to her renewed mental state. She averaged 17.5 points and 3.0 steals, shooting 44.4% from 3-point range, culminating in a 19-point effort in the national semifinals and a dominant 24-point display in the championship game against South Carolina, where she was named MOP in UConn’s 82-59 victory. This late-season surge provided a definitive glimpse of the player her father always knew existed, stating, "At the end of the championship game, I was like, ‘All of you have not seen it, none of you have seen it.’ That is Azzi Fudd."

To foster this newfound mental resilience, Fudd began working with a sports psychologist last season. This professional guidance helped her identify and address self-judgment, guiding her towards more rational responses to on-court challenges. Instead of fixating on a missed shot as "wrong," she now meticulously analyzes the mechanics – whether it was long, short, or lacked sufficient lift – to make precise adjustments. This analytical approach, she states, has been a "game changer."

Beyond mental conditioning, Fudd has dedicated her offseason to rigorous physical training under the tutelage of elite coaches. A month after lifting the championship trophy, she was in a New York gym with renowned skills trainer Chris Brickley, who also works with NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Trae Young, as well as UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. Brickley’s demanding drills, involving consecutive minutes of running, shooting, and live one-on-one play, push athletes to their physical and mental limits. Fudd, after initially scoring 27, 26, and 27 points in a drill where 28 is the NBA standard, ultimately broke through with a score of 36 on her sixth attempt. Brickley lauded her "mental toughness and ridiculous mindset" to persevere through such a grueling workout.

Her talent was recognized early by Brandon Payne, Stephen Curry’s trainer, who began working with Fudd after she and Cameron Brink became the first two girls invited to Curry’s SC30 Select Camp in 2018. Payne immediately noted Fudd’s exceptional competitive drive. As a high school sophomore, she chose to scrimmage against future NBA players like Anthony Edwards, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green, and Cole Anthony, not only competing but "attacking" and "scoring right off the bat." This early confidence and success earned her the Gatorade National Player of the Year award as the first high school sophomore to receive the honor.

Coach Auriemma acknowledges Fudd’s unparalleled work ethic in practice. "Nobody trains better, nobody approaches every drill better, no one gives more than the effort that she gives you every single day," he stated. However, he emphasized the critical need for game-time action to translate this training into consistent on-court performance. Her collegiate career has featured compelling "flashes" – 25 points on 7-of-9 three-point shooting against Tennessee as a freshman, and a sophomore stretch featuring 32 points against both Texas and NC State, followed by 24 against Iowa, all top-10 ranked opponents. Auriemma’s aspiration for her final year is clear: "I’m really hoping that this year she’s able to sustain it and stay healthy and stay in that moment where she feels like she’s got everything under control."

The upcoming season also demands a new dimension from Fudd: leadership. With the departures of seasoned guards like Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl, Fudd is expected to step into a more vocal role, a departure from her previous inclination to lead by example. A conversation with teammate Sarah Strong, the 2025-26 Big East preseason player of the year, highlighted their shared recognition of this responsibility. "We both agreed that people are probably going to look up to us," Strong explained, emphasizing the need to practice leadership in order to perform it naturally in games.

In UConn’s exhibition game against Southern Connecticut State, Fudd demonstrated an immediate shift in aggression. On the Huskies’ first possession, she took a handoff from Strong and launched an NBA-range shot, signaling her intent. Moments later, tied 2-2, she received another handoff from Strong, hesitated briefly as her defender went under the screen, then exploded into a jump shot from beyond the arc, splashing it through the net. Her teammates noted her newfound assertiveness in fall pickup games, with Strong expressing surprise at Fudd’s increased vocal presence. Coach Auriemma anticipates that Fudd will handle the ball significantly more in critical moments, a responsibility previously shouldered by Bueckers. "These guys have benefited from all those other guys that have been around, and now it’ll be a real growing thing for Azzi to take on that role," he asserted.

Off the court, Fudd’s confidence has also blossomed through experiences such as a trip to China with Stephen Curry for his camp and CurryCon. She was surprised by the recognition she received from fans, who sought her autograph and offered gifts, an "aha moment" that her mother, Katie, interpreted as a "blossoming of realizing how good she actually is." This positive reinforcement, combined with a rejuvenating Caribbean cruise with her family – a rare opportunity for them to spend extended time together – has contributed to her refreshed outlook. Brickley, her trainer, believes these positive influences will translate to the court. "When she’s confident, in a good space, healthy, I really don’t think that there’s anyone in women’s basketball, period, that can shoot the ball better than she can shoot it," he concluded, predicting a "really high note" finish to her college career.

Looking ahead, Fudd faces significant uncertainty regarding her professional future. She plans to enter the WNBA next year, contingent on the league and players’ association successfully negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Unlike previous drafts where players like Caitlin Clark and Bueckers were near-certain No. 1 picks, the 2026 class appears less predictable. ESPN’s most recent mock draft projects Fudd as the No. 3 overall pick to the Seattle Storm, behind TCU’s Olivia Miles, positioning her as the second guard off the board. However, the exact timing of the lottery and free agency remains tied to the CBA resolution. Despite the professional unknowns, Fudd maintains a personal connection to her childhood summers at her grandparents’ lake house in Minnesota, expressing a desire to revisit her "favorite places" even amidst a demanding WNBA schedule.

As UConn, ranked preseason No. 1, prepares to open its season Tuesday against Louisville (ESPN, 5:30 p.m. ET), Azzi Fudd stands at a pivotal juncture. Her final collegiate campaign is poised to be a definitive statement, not only of her undeniable talent but also of her evolved mental strength and newfound leadership. The journey to consistently showcase the "real Azzi Fudd" – the dominant, confident player recognized by her closest observers – is now her singular focus.

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