Paige Bueckers Reacts to Birthday Message For UConn’s Azzi Fudd
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The UConn Huskies women's basketball community celebrated Azzi Fudd's 23rd birthday on November 11 with a flood of social media tributes. While Paige Bueckers remained quiet on her own feed, she reacted to trainer Chris Brickley's emotional post.
Chris Brickley's Heartfelt Birthday Tribute
Chris Brickley posted a heartfelt birthday message with several photos of Azzi, reflecting on their seven-year training relationship.
"One of the best parts of what I do is growing alongside players, not just seeing them evolve, but evolving with them. @azzi35 and I have been building together for 7 years now, and her family has truly become an extension of mine," Brickley wrote in his post.
"From the first workout to now, she's battled through injuries, setbacks & tough moments but came out better than ever....literally!! National Championship MVP! Watching her journey while building the @brickleyinvitational together with the help of her family. S/O @coachkatie35 and @timfudd23 !!!! You guys have been a blessing!"
chris' birthday message for azzi 🥹 this is so sweet pic.twitter.com/rvkk3UKkby
— mads (@livelovepazzi) November 12, 2025
Brickley wrapped up his message by calling Azzi "the most loyal, mentally strong, worst texter, and one of the best shooters I've ever trained," adding "We got 7 more years to keep getting better!"
The post earned a like from Paige Bueckers, and Azzi commented "Appreciate you" underneath. Azzi also shared Brickley's post on her Instagram story, showing how much the tribute meant to her.
Teammates Show Love, Paige Stays Silent
Several UConn teammates flooded social media with birthday wishes for Azzi. KK Arnold posted on her Instagram story with the caption "all love my dawg,"
KK wishing Azzi a happy birthday 💞🤏🏽 pic.twitter.com/WwpSqn8fXb
— j (@thearkvi) November 11, 2025
while Morgan Cheli and Sahara Strong also wished her happy birthday, with Sahara captioning her post "happy bday fud." Ashanti Plummer, Azzi's podcast co-host on their show together, posted a video wishing her a happy birthday. Azzi Fudd reposted all of their stories on her Instagram stories.
What caught fans' attention was Paige Bueckers' silence on her own Instagram. While friends and teammates flooded Azzi's birthday with public posts and stories, nothing came from Paige's official account.
However, this appears to be a deliberate choice to keep their celebration private rather than any sign of tension. Paige has consistently shown she prefers handling intimate moments away from the public eye.
UConn will look to continue its strong start to the season when they face Loyola Chicago at home on November 12 at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies then travel to play Ohio State on November 16 before heading to the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.