UConn’s Azzi Fudd Lands Major National Award Nod

Azzi Fudd’s breakout final season with the UConn Huskies' brings major national recognition as the Huskies guard lands among the nation’s elite.

Feb 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) is introduced before an NCAA game against the DePaul Blue Demons at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Azzi Fudd’s final season in Storrs is starting to look like she’s collecting milestones. And the UConn Huskies senior has done it again. This time, Fudd has been named as one of five finalists for the 2026 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is an honor presented annually to the best shooting guard in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. The award, now in its ninth year, is jointly presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The award was named after Hall of Famer Ann Meyers Drysdale, one of the most influential figures in women’s basketball history and the first player, male or female, to earn All-America honors in four consecutive college seasons.

Fudd joins other finalists, including LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens and Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes. Fudd is currently playing her first fully healthy season, and it has turned into one of her best so far.

#MeyersDrysdaleAward Finalist

🏀 Mikayla Blakes
🏀 Azzi Fudd
🏀 Flau’Jae Johnson
🏀 Gianna Kneepkens
🏀 Ta’Niya Latson#NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/7ofbN5r7cl

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 10, 2026

Fudd is averaging 17.7 points per game, converting 48.9 percent from the field, 44.6 percent from three-point range, and 95.1 percent from the free-throw line. This season, Fudd has grown into a leader. However, her shooting is particularly lethal. Fudd ranks second nationally with 104 made three-pointers and sits seventh in three-point percentage.

Against top-25 opponents, Fudd is averaging 24.4 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 46.8 percent from beyond the arc. If Fudd wins, she will become the second Husky, after Christyn Williams in 2022, to win the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

Ahead of March Madness, UConn Makes Big Announcement

The Huskies will soon head to March Madness. However, ahead of the same, the Huskies have made an announcement about their future schedule. UConn will face Maryland on Dec. 5 in the 2026 Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The third edition of the event will feature four programs including UConn, Maryland, Michigan and Iowa State. Michigan and Iowa State will open the doubleheader followed by the Huskies and Terrapins in the nightcap.

UConn enters the matchup with an 8–1 record against Maryland. The teams last met in November 2023 in Storrs, where the Huskies won 80–48. The matches will air on FOX, and no doubt, it's bound to be one for the books.

Last year’s Champions Classic drew record television numbers, peaking at 860,000 viewers on FOX and averaging more than 600,000 overall. Attendance at Barclays Center also topped 11,000 fans for the second consecutive season.

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