Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers weren’t just teammates — they were the heartbeat of UConn women’s basketball. Best friends, fierce competitors, and the kind of duo fans dream about. Over the years, they battled injuries, critics, and sky-high expectations, always pushing each other to be better.

And this season? It finally paid off.

The pair led the Huskies to their first national title since 2016, crushing South Carolina 82–59 in the 2025 championship game. Fudd dropped 24 points and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Bueckers was right beside her, grinning like a proud sister. It was the perfect ending to their college story — until it wasn’t.

Because now, Bueckers is off to the WNBA as the No. 1 pick. And Fudd? She’s not looking back. Just days after the title win, she made it clear:

Yep — Azzi Fudd is already plotting UConn’s next move. No time for nostalgia. No waiting around. Just a new mission: a four-peat.

This was actually the second time the Bueckers-Fudd duo led the Huskies to the national title game. But this time around, things hit different. The stakes were higher. The urgency, the fire — you could feel it. It was Bueckers’ last ride in college, her final shot at the one thing that had eluded her: a championship.

Fudd’s not done yet. She’s got one more year in Storrs. But for both of them, this win filled a championship-sized hole on their resumes — and in their hearts.

“To say that these four years have not gone according to plan, or according [to] how we thought it would go, I would say is to put it lightly,” Fudd said Saturday. “To be able to spend these four years — whether we were both on the court, both out, one on the court, one out, vice versa — I feel like it’s been incredibly special just to have those moments with her, be able to learn from her.”

Because through all the chaos — the rehab, the waiting, the comebacks — it was their friendship that carried them. That bond kept them going when their bodies wouldn’t. It propelled their growth, not just as athletes, but as people.

“To be here at this stage, to both be doing what we love after all we’ve both been through, I’m sure if you asked her, she wouldn’t change it,” Bueckers said Saturday. “I wouldn’t change it just because of how it shaped us and how it’s shaped our mentality, how it shaped our faith and belief in everything that happens for a reason. So, to be here at this stage is really rewarding.”

From the moment Fudd joined the squad, Bueckers was in her corner. Literally — she helped recruit her, even putting together a highlight reel just to convince her to come. “She sat down, airdropped it to the TV and said, ‘This is what I’ll be doing to Azzi,’” Fudd  laughed in a GQ interview. “My parents were laughing. But it was a Paige moment.”

That “Paige moment” turned into years of unforgettable basketball, inside jokes, courtside celebrations, and a whole lot of mutual love and respect. They weren’t just hyping each other up for the cameras. They were showing up for each other when things got dark. When one was sidelined, the other stepped up. When fans questioned one, the other clapped back.

And when they were finally both healthy at the same time? They turned into a championship-winning force.

After the title game, the embrace said it all. Two players who had been through it together — from Team USA camps back in 2017 to the highest stage of college hoops — now standing at the top, arms around each other, soaking in sweat, and what they’d built.

But with Bueckers gone, there’s a new chapter. And Fudd is ready to write it.

Paige Bueckers Ends UConn Career with Championship Parade

For one last time in college, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd stood side by side — this time, not on the court, but at the front of a championship parade through Connecticut. Alongside Sarah Strong and the rest of the Huskies squad, UConn’s stars celebrated their 12th national title in program history just days before the 2025 WNBA Draft.

This run wasn’t just historic. It was personal.

The national title marked Bueckers’ first — and only — NCAA championship, capping off her college career with the ending every athlete dreams of. Her eligibility now done, she’s officially headed to the next level as a champion.

For Fudd, who still has one more season at UConn, this moment was as much about the team as it was the trophy. “Now, like I said, this championship means everything,” she said during the parade celebration. “But to do it with this team — this team is so special. Like, these girls, my sisters, my friends for life… we’ve been through so much together.”

That bond showed throughout March Madness, and even more so in the post-championship joy. Fudd made sure to acknowledge the seniors, especially Bueckers, who helped carry UConn through injuries, setbacks, and pressure-filled moments all season long.

“To win this, get through all that adversity, and bring it home — just the bond that we have, the love that we play with, it shows every single night,” Fudd added. “To be able to play not just for each other, but for our seniors and bring it home for them, and be able to send them off to their next chapter with this kind of storybook ending… seniors, we love you and thank you. Thank you very much.”

Bueckers echoed that love right back, her voice cracking with emotion as she addressed the crowd.

“Obviously, just how connected we were and the power of friendship — like we all talked about,” she said. “So thank you guys for all coming out. You made this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

It was the perfect goodbye for one of college basketball’s brightest stars. And for UConn fans, it was a glimpse into the heart of a team that wasn’t just dominant — they were bonded, determined, and unforgettable.