UConn’s Azzi Fudd Surges Past Purdue Star to NIL No.1
In this story:
The UConn Huskies are coming off their 12th national championship, and they are sure playing like champions. At an 8-0 overall record, 1–0 in conference, and riding an eight-game winning streak, the Huskies look ready to chase their 13th championship. Their last game was against South Florida, and the Huskies won 85–51.
Sarah Strong scored 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Azzi Fudd delivered a steady 10 points as the Huskies shot 51% from the floor. Fudd has been consistent this season, yet despite the same, this weekend’s biggest twist came off the court.
Fudd has suddenly taken command of the entire NIL landscape. The NIL Store’s Black Friday–Cyber Monday surge delivered the biggest athlete-earning period in its history, and at the top of the entire country across all sports was none other than Azzi Fudd.
Fudd tanked No.1 overall, and her sales were higher than the coveted Purdue men’s basketball guard Braden Smith. Her viral throwback football jersey became the single best-selling item of the weekend, helping drive a 3x increase in women’s basketball sales.
Behind her, names like Andrej Stojakovic, Omer Mayer, Kylan Boswell, Coen Carr and Fernando Mendoza filled out the top earners list. And anchoring the back end of the Top 10 was yet another Husky and Fudd’s teammate, Sarah Strong.
Record Breaking!!
— The NIL Store (@nil_store) December 3, 2025
NIL Store Black Friday/Cyber Monday marked the LARGEST athlete-earning period in company history — including the strongest single day, weekend, and month ever
Our student-athletes saw a 45% increase in overall earnings YOY - all thanks to the fans! pic.twitter.com/hci332jGVH
Strong and Fudd give UConn two stars among the nation’s biggest NIL winners. Now, coming to the women’s list, things get more interesting. Fudd, of course, topped the list. At No. 2 sits Strong, and KK Arnold sits at No. 3, making them the only school in the nation to claim the entire podium.
And with Fudd finally enjoying her first fully healthy season, the season she postponed the WNBA Draft for, her production matches her market impact. She’s averaging double-digit scoring nights, had a 31-point explosion against Michigan, is shooting efficiently from the field and the arc, and has become the centerpiece of a team that looks fully capable of running it back.
UConn Rises in School Sales Behind Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong
Just as Fudd jumped to the top of the athlete charts, UConn itself shot to No. 2 nationally in school sales, trailing only the Purdue men’s basketball program, currently ranked No. 1 in the country. Illinois, Michigan State, and Nebraska rounded out the Top 5.
The surge wasn’t limited to athletes either; it extended across entire categories. Men’s basketball led all sports, followed closely by women’s basketball, which posted 3x growth year-over-year and had a 45% jump in sitewide earnings.
Football, baseball, and women’s volleyball rounded out the Top 5. Once again, UConn women’s basketball found itself at the center of national demand because its stars are shaping the modern marketplace.
And that carried into the programs list, too. The UConn women’s basketball program ranked No. 2 overall, behind only Purdue men’s basketball, and ahead of Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State football, Vanderbilt football, LSU women’s basketball, Nebraska volleyball and Iowa men’s basketball.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.