The UConn Huskies have been off to a desirable start clinching six victories in the trot. Azzi Fudd, however, has only been available for the last three games, making her return in mid-November against Fairleigh Dickinson. While she’s been logging solid minutes since coming back, the senior guard has yet to join Paige Bueckers in the starting lineup to reestablish their dynamic partnership from the opening tip. Now, head coach Geno Auriemma has shared another promising update on the 22-year-old’s progress.

The UConn Huskies are gearing up for their next matchup against Holy Cross on Tuesday night, and head coach Geno Auriemma had some time to chat with the media ahead of the game. Emily Adams, a Hartford Courant reporter, took to X to share a notable moment from Auriemma’s comments. When asked about the likelihood of Azzi Fudd returning to the starting lineup, the head coach offered an intriguing response.

The tweet read, “Will Azzi Fudd return to the starting lineup for UConn tomorrow vs Holy Cross after her performance in the Bahamas? “I think that’s a good assumption,” Geno Auriemma says with a wink..” 

Since making her season debut on November 20, UConn’s No. 35 guard has been a consistent presence on the court. However, she’s yet to crack the starting lineup. That said, her playing time has steadily increased with each game, reflecting her growing rhythm and confidence. In her latest outing against Ole Miss, she played a season-high 28 minutes and dropped an impressive 18 points. To put it in perspective, she began her season with 12 minutes in her first game and upped it to 20 in the next.

The trend suggests she’s getting closer to peak form and Auriemma’s comments are probably a nod to her return to the starting lineup sooner than ever. Fudd’s delayed start of the season stemmed from the ACL injury she picked early in the last season which kept her sidelined for almost a year. But her return was projected to come around the third week of November as per Auriemma earlier and that’s what exactly unfolded.

Fudd’s return isn’t just a big win for UConn—it could be a potential game-changer for head coach Geno Auriemma, who must be waiting for it to ease one of his biggest concerns. It also bolsters Paige Bueckers’ championship dreams in her final year, bringing the team one step closer to their ultimate goal.

Azzi Fudd can solve Geno Auriemma’s problem

“I think — the — I have to make a decision a lot of times is the inconsistency because of inexperience. They just haven’t been in those situations enough times or the inconsistency because mentally you know we need to learn how to focus better we need to learn how to concentrate on exactly what it is,” Auriemma had told just before the season kicked off. And he wasn’t wrong to be concerned. After all, UConn’s roster leans heavily on freshmen and sophomores, making growing pains an inevitable part of the journey this season.

Injuries have plagued UConn’s upperclassmen for a while, with senior Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin, and junior Caroline Ducharme all spending time sidelined this season. This dynamic leaves Paige Bueckers as the only senior consistently available since the start, creating a heavy reliance on her leadership and playmaking. However, the silver lining is Fudd steadily working her way back onto the court, and her return already showed promise in the last game against Ole Miss, where her contributions perfectly complemented Bueckers’ efforts.

The Baha Mar Championship game against Ole Miss was nothing short of a nail-biter, with the Huskies pulling off a 70-63 victory. But it could’ve gone the other way if not for Azzi Fudd. While Paige Bueckers stole the show with a game-high 28 points, Fudd delivered when it mattered most, adding 18 points to the tally. Her performance underscored just how crucial her presence is for UConn.

The more time Fudd gets on the hardwood, the stronger her chemistry with Bueckers —a pairing that could finally break UConn and Geno Auriemma’s eight-year championship drought. The white and blues take on Holy Cross Crusaders on Tuesday night, December 3.