UConn Forward Compares Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers' Leadership
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The Huskies are unbeaten this season, and their last game against Villanova ended in an 83-69 win. With that, the Huskies are 28-0 overall and 17-0 in Big East play, extending their overall winning streak to 44 games.
Azzi Fudd took control with 25 points, while Sarah Strong battled through early foul trouble to finish with 21. The Huskies have come a long way from last season, but their winning streak remains consistent, and one of the reasons is their leadership.
One of the biggest questions to come up early this season was, who was going to replace Paige Buecker’s leadership after she decided to leave the Huskies behind for the WNBA? The first name to come up was, of course, Fudd, given her production and seniority. However, in a rather surprising twist, Strong too emerged as a voice in the huddle.
Recently, Strong was on ‘A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe’ and broke down what separates these three leaders and their approaches.
As Strong sees it, “I think they both lead in very different ways. Like, Paige is going to be the one on the court saying something to you like, ‘Alright, we need this from you.’ She’s vocal. And I feel like A is going to lead by example.
"She’s going to show you what she expects and stuff like that. I feel like every day in practice, I just need to continue to be comfortable in myself, confident and open to using my voice. BecauseI feel like sometimes I do know what I’m talking about, and I’m very capable of being a leader. Again, it just comes with confidence. So just every day.”
That difference defined an era. Bueckers was the emotional engine for four seasons, and her final year sealed her legacy. She had a historic NCAA tournament run, including a 40-point Sweet 16 performance and three straight 30-point games, before leading UConn to the national championship. By the time she left as the No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick, she was finishing with the highest scoring average ever by a Husky and over 2,400 career points.
And when she left, Fudd and Strong stepped up. Fudd has turned into the Huskies’ most reliable offensive force, averaging 18.0 points while shooting nearly 50%. Over the past few weeks alone, she has delivered scoring bursts of 27, 25, and 19 points in key wins. After injuries disrupted previous seasons, Fudd finally has a full year to lead on her terms.
Strong has been consistent and brilliant throughout the season. She is averaging 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting an elite 59.5% from the field. In fact, Geno Auriemma had warned the Husky Nation of the Strong phenomenon early this season.
“You know, every huddle that she’s in, she’s the one doing the talking,” Auriemma said in October. “That would have never happened last season.”
Strong backed it up with production, including a 17-point, five-assist performance earlier this year and her 21-point effort against Villanova. More importantly, she began doing what Bueckers once did.
Huskies Enter Senior Day as Regular Season Nears End
UConn's next matchup is against Providence at Gampel Pavilion. The match will be followed by Senior Day ceremonies honoring Azzi Fudd, along with fellow seniors Ice Brady, Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson and Serah Williams.
Since joining UConn, Caroline Ducharme and Fudd have helped UConn hit a 159-21 overall record. During that span, the Huskies captured the 2025 national title, reached multiple championship rounds, and won nine conference titles.
Providence enters the game at 14-14 overall and 7-10 in Big East play, riding a four-game winning streak, including a 66-60 win over DePaul. The Friars are led by Sabou Gueye, who is averaging 15.3 points per game this season.
However, the matchup history is heavily one-sided. UConn is 51-21 all-time against Providence and has won the last 38 consecutive meetings between the programs. The last time the two teams faced each other was earlier this season, and it ended in a 90-53 win.
-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.