Ever since Azzi Fudd stepped onto the Huskies’ court, she’s been the talk of the town, right alongside Paige Bueckers. When the 21-year-old was being recruited, AP Player of the Year Bueckers launched a relentless campaign to lure her friend and fellow high school sensation to UConn. “She did bug me a lot,” Fudd shared about the recruitment process. Little did they know that their duo on the court would be even more anticipated. But after Fudd’s arrival, the two had to wait.

Both faced injuries. In 2022, Bueckers missed 19 games following surgery to repair a meniscus tear and tibial plateau fracture. Fudd, on the other hand, missed 11 games due to a foot injury. These setbacks limited them to only three career starts together. Two years on, their situation remains much the same.

Injuries continue to limit their time on the court. “I think we’ve seen a lot of one or the other, but we have only seen a glimpse of that combination together,” Geno Auriemma said before the 2024-2025 season began. Averaging 21.9 points with 5.2 rebounds per game, Bueckers isn’t just a “get-a-bucket-every-time” player; she creates scoring opportunities for others as well. Fudd, averaging 11 points and 2.5 rebounds, has more to give in practice by staying closer to the action.

The two have shown what they are capable of individually and with Fudd doing well in practice, Auriemma admits there are a lot of expectations riding when the two get to the court together. “So I am anxious to see what that looks like. I’m sure they’ve had many talks about it and I’m sure they had a lot of talks about it before and it always fell apart. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that we get to see it.” 

It’s no surprise he feels that way. Bueckers suffered an ACL tear in the 2022-2023 campaign, costing her the entire season. Fudd stepped up as UConn’s best player in her absence, yet she too faced injury woes that limited her impact.

So far, the two friends have played only 17 games together over three years

During last year’s preseason, the Huskies were the top-ranked team in the nation, but Fudd suffered a season-ending injury in a practice session. “I’ve almost forgotten what that could look like or should look like. I don’t even have an imagination of, ‘Wow, I’ve seen them at their best together,’” Auriemma admitted.

All these limitations have only added to the anticipation. Still, Auriemma remains cautious about the high expectations. From the coach’s perspective, Fudd, a graduate student, has just 40 collegiate games under her belt and “a lot of catching up to do.”

But Fudd isn’t the only one Auriemma expects to improve. Even Bueckers, traditionally an unselfish playmaker, is being urged to take a more assertive role. She is expected to receive some help when Fudd returns healthy either by late November or early December with a new mindset. She is happier in practice sessions than ever before and has learnt to admit she might not be the best straight away. At the end of the day, she is just excited to get back on court and hopefully this time, she plays to heart’s content.