With the 2024-25 NCAA season just a month away, teams are ramping up their preparations, but most eyes are on the UConn Huskies. This year is particularly significant as it marks the final season for their standout player, Paige Bueckers, who is poised to be a top lottery pick in next year’s WNBA Draft. The Huskies fell short last season, failing to go ahead of the Final Four, and now will also be without Aaliyah Edwards. But there’s a glimmer of hope as head coach Geno Auriemma has provided encouraging news about Azzi Fudd’s status.

It looks like the Huskies might soon have one of their important players back in action as they tip off their season. Recently, UConn’s sports media outlet, UCTV Sports, shared a tweet featuring head coach Geno Auriemma’s thoughts on Azzi Fudd’s availability.

The tweet read, “Coach Auriemma: ‘Azzi will probably be back sooner than anyone else. Azzi I’m thinking, certainly she won’t be ready the first week of November, even the second week of November. But before we get into the biggest, most important part of our schedule. Keeping my fingers crossed.'” It will definitely bring relief to the team and fans, especially considering that Fudd has consistently ranked among the top three scorers for UConn during the two seasons where she has played over 10 games.

Azzi Fudd has racked up an impressive 552 points across 42 games for Auriemma’s squad. As the Huskies gear up for their season opener against Boston University on November 6th, they have a total of five games lined up for the month. However, as Coach Auriemma mentioned, Fudd may not be ready for those November matchups. The noteworthy point is that November has been a tough month for Fudd in the past, with injuries limiting her playing time over the last couple of seasons.

Azzi Fudd’s journey has been plagued by injuries but she remains determined

“I’m personally done talking about ‘next year,'” Fudd expressed during a panel at the ESPNW Summit in May. Her frustration is understandable, given that injuries—ranging from minor setbacks to season-ending ones—have continually interrupted her playing time. In her three years with the Huskies, Fudd has only managed to appear in 42 games, leaving her with fewer opportunities to truly showcase her potential.

Fudd made her UConn Huskies debut in the 2021/22 season but faced a setback with a stress injury to her right foot. Initially, head coach Geno Auriemma anticipated she’d miss around two weeks, but Fudd was sidelined for 11 games. Despite the injury, she managed to play 25 games during her freshman season. If only she would have thought everything will get better next year, it only got worse.

During her sophomore season with UConn, Fudd faced two significant injuries. On December 4, 2022, she injured her right knee after a teammate fell on her during a game against Notre Dame, sidelining her for eight games. She returned on January 11, 2023, but re-injured her knee just one game later against Georgetown, causing her to miss 22 more games.

Unfortunately, the worst was still ahead for Fudd. Last November, she suffered a torn right ACL and MCL during a practice session, leading to a devastating season-ending injury. This setback meant she missed nearly the entire 2023-24 season, managing to play in only two games throughout that time.

Despite everything she’s been through, Azzi Fudd’s spirit remains unshaken. Reflecting on her journey, she told CBS Sports, “It’s not about what I’ve lost. It’s about what I still have and what I’m doing to get back to that point.” As the new season approaches, it will be exciting to see if Fudd, alongside her friend and teammate Paige Bueckers, can guide the Huskies to their first NCAA championship since 2016.