Azzi Fudd's Shooting Workout Sparks NBA Trainer's Bold UConn, WNBA Draft Prediction

A recent workout Azzi Fudd did with an NBA skills trainer has him convinced Fudd has a big season in store.

Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) dribbles the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With Paige Bueckers now in the WNBA, the UConn Huskies women's basketball team has big shoes to fill when defending their 2025 NCAA national title next season.

They've already done a great job of retooling their roster in Bueckers' (and Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin's) absence, as they landed forward Serah Williams in the transfer portal from Wisconsin. Williams having averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season will be a huge offensive boost on top of the other talent that the Huskies are returning next year.

The two most talented of this bunch are Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, who, along with Bueckers, were the three most important players on Geno Auriemma's squad in 2024-25. And with the scoring onus now on Strong and Fudd, fans can expect both to have big seasons.

Both Fudd and Bueckers have spent time working with NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley in the past. And Brickley made a May 13 Instagram post of one of Fudd's recent workouts with him, showcasing her impeccable shooting form.

The post's caption read, "Exclusive look into @azzi35 first workout since her NCAA Championship MVP!! Azzi will be the best player in the country next year in college and projected the #1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft‼️ Time Flies! I remember our workouts when you were in High School!!!"

Brickley's prediction that Fudd will be the best player in college basketball next season and the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft is certainly bold. However, both seem attainable for Fudd so long as she stays healthy.