Women's Fastbreak On SI

Azzi Fudd's 6-Word Reaction to Strong UConn NCAA Tournament Game Speaks Volumes

UConn Huskies star Azzi Fudd is clearly feeling good about her team's start to the NCAA Tournament.

Grant Young

Mar 22, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) drives the ball against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) drives the ball against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Even if a women's college basketball fan had been told in advance that Paige Bueckers only scored 11 points in the UConn Huskies' first game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, they'd surely still think the Huskies cruised to an easy win, given their Arkansas State competition and the fact that UConn has several superstars on their team.

And this was the exact case. While it was a relatively quiet scoring night for Bueckers, teammates Sarah Strong, Ashlynn Shade, and Azzi Fudd did more than enough offensively to propel UConn to a 103-34 win.

Fudd was especially impressive during the first-round contest, as she scored a game-high 27 points and 7 assists in just 22 minutes, which included her going 6-9 from three point range.

It was always going to be important that Fudd showed aggression for these Huskies this tournament, and that's exactly what she did on Saturday. And after the game, she was honest about how she felt during the action.

"I just think the ball was moving really well today," Fudd said, per an X post from SNY. "I really don't know how I got 7 assists, but I think the ball was moving well, people were open, and shooting when they were open.

"So it was a lot of fun to see just to see everyone have confidence, shooting the ball when they're open, not hesitating, and we made a lot of shots. So it was great."

Fudd smiling and saying "it was a lot of fun" is very telling about the relaxed and confident mindset she's bringing in to this tournament.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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