What was supposed to be a few days of rest has turned into more than a week of missing court time. With horrible flashbacks to the last year, the UConn Huskies are preparing for yet another match without Azzi Fudd. The redshirt senior missed the entirety of her junior year except for two games after a right knee injury incurred in a practice game. It took a whole year of slow rehab but she was finally back. Last week, Fudd sprained that same knee again.

Coach Geno Auriemma had said she would be out for the week after sustaining the injury two weeks ago in the game against Louisville. It’s now Friday and the Huskies play the USC Trojans tomorrow. Fudd’s status? UConn insider Maggie Vanoni revealed on X, “Geno Auriemma says “there’s a chance” Azzi Fudd (knee sprain) will play on Saturday vs USC but doesn’t want to call it 100%”

The Huskies coach had revealed last Tuesday to reporters that Fudd would be considered day-to-day from this week onwards. The team understandably wants to take time for Fudd to recover properly on the same knee that gave her trouble last year. Even Stephen Curry stepped in to lend a hand with his own team of experts. But at the same time, what does it mean for Fudd?

At this rate, the Huskies’ promising player will spend more time recovering from injuries than actually playing on the court. The right knee is something that had troubled Fudd since high school when she tore her ACL and MCL and then missed almost her entire senior year due to a foot sprain. Even at UConn, the senior has only played in 42 of 77 possible games since 2021.

Last week, the doctors did give a positive update, which Auriemma relayed to the media, because imagining the alternative would be horrifying, to say the least. A few days ago, the UConn head hog revealed on the UConn Radio Network how he could not believe Fudd’s luck, whom he admires as the “perfect” player.

“She is one of the best-conditioned athletes we’ve had at UConn. That’s why it’s crazy that all this stuff keeps happening to her. But she’s just so incredibly well put together for a basketball player. Like, if you were going to build the perfect basketball player, that’s what it would look like.”

Now, Auriemma has given another update for tomorrow.

Azzi Fudd vs. USC – “Questionable, probable, doubtful?”

When Notre Dame handed a bad defeat to UConn, Azzi Fudd’s presence beside Paige Bueckers was sorely missed. It was their first loss of the season and even though fifth-year player Bueckers seemed to be doing her best to hold the team up, the Huskies seemed to be having an off night. For Bueckers as well, it took some time for her to get going and the Fighting Irish had already done the damage and her 25 points ultimately did not help the Huskies win.

Now with a Big Ten rival like USC to host at home tomorrow, UConn might need Fudd. Per insider Emily Adams on X, “Geno Auriemma says on the potential for Azzi Fudd to play vs. USC tomorrow, ‘the word is questionable. Probable, doubtful? I’m saying there’s a chance, yeah. I know she wants to play.'”

It does help that the Trojans have a 0-3 record against the Huskies since their first game in the 2002-2003 season. But the team does boast powerhouse JuJu Watkins this year in prime form, and it never hurts to have a star player on one’s team. But now only time will tell if Fudd does appear on the court tomorrow.