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UCLA Coach Shares Sentimental Azzi Fudd Story Before UConn Final Four Game

UCLA coach Cori Close shared a beautiful story about UConn star Azzi Fudd supporting her before they face off in the Final Four.
Grant Young|
Feb 12, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) reacts after her three point basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Feb 12, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) reacts after her three point basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins and UConn Huskies are set to face off in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday, April 4.

Bruins head coach Cori Close (who won both Naismith and AP National Coach of the Year) knows UConn stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd quite well, as she coached both during her time as an assistant coach for the U-19 United States women's national basketball team.

While Close was praising Bueckers during her time speaking to the media on April 3, she detailed a story about them bonding over gospel music during their time at the U19 World Cup in 2019, which took place in Thailand.

And when it came time to speak about Fudd, Close shared an emotional story that displays how wonderful of a person Azzi is.

"Those are probably the two, they carried me a little bit. So when I coached them, my dad died when I was on the trip with USA basketball," Close said Thursday, per an X post from UCLA reporter Ira Gorawara. The "two" she mentioned are Fudd and UCLA star Lauren Betts.

"And those two kids, I remember the circle, I remember sitting there and telling them, 'This is going on, I'm okay, but this is happening.' And their response to me was just tremendous. And I had recruited them both; they both turned me down," Close continued. Betts spent her freshman season at Stanford before transferring to UCLA.

"But Azzi, she just has this incredible work ethic, she's an elite player, she has a very tender heart. And I was the beneficiary of that on that trip. And I will be forever grateful," Close concluded.

Props to Close for sharing this powerful story about Fudd one day before facing her in the biggest game of their respective careers.

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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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