UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd will likely uncork a new role for coach Geno Auriemma’s squad in the 2025-26 season. After the 2024-25 season, Fudd’s girlfriend and now Dallas Wings standout Paige Bueckers exhausted her collegiate basketball eligibility with the Huskies after they won the program’s 12th national championship.
Women’s college hoops analyst Mark Zanetto detailed on the “The Hoops Cap” podcast on Tuesday, Sept. 2, how he feels about Fudd stepping into a role that Bueckers played in the previous seasons at UConn.
“When it comes to UConn women’s basketball this season, coming off a 12th national championship, the expectations are through the roof, sky-high. And for Azzi Fudd, they’re going to be even higher, maybe unfair at times. But that’s the standard when you play for UConn, a program with 12 national titles and 24 Final Fours. Azzi is expected to expand her leadership role,” Zanetto said (1:53).
“She’s got to be more vocal, set the tone and become almost like another coach on the floor the way Geno and Paige had that rapport where it almost looked like they couldn’t stand each other. But, the reality is it was a great coach and player combo, right? I think she’s going to be very excited to become the focal point of this offense even with another Player of the Year candidate in Sarah Strong, who we’ll get to next,” he continued.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Fudd, Bueckers, and the rest of coach Auriemma’s Huskies shot down the defending national champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the NCAA title game by 23 points, 82-59, to snap UConn’s nine-year NCAA title drought. The Huskies last won it in March 2016.
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Mark Zanetto is Confident That Azzi Fudd Will Become a Candidate For Both Big East and National POTY Honors
On the same podcast, Zanetto expressed confidence in Fudd, saying she can become both the Big East conference Player of the Year and National Player of the Year in her last stint of collegiate basketball.
“Her resume already speaks for itself. She’s a national champion, multiple Final Fours, came back from injury, so there’s been adversity that she’s been able to overcome, and she’s absolutely going to be a favorite for the Big East Player of the Year and one of the favorites for National Player of the Year candidates,” Zanetto said (2:45).
Also Read: IN PICS: UConn’s Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold and More Sweat It Out in Gym While Preparing for 2025 Season
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