Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, Paige Bueckers—one of the deadliest Big 3s in the country when fully fit. Their performance was on display once again, with Strong scoring 22 points, Azzi Fudd dropping 19 points, and Paige Bueckers scoring 16 points. The Huskies were able to trounce the Bruins with an 85-51 win. Despite the dominant win, fans felt a lack of chemistry from the long-time best friends Fudd and Bueckers.

It was Fudd’s first semifinal game since 2022, as injuries had sidelined her career. But it didn’t take long for the 22-year-old to assert herself. She would score all of her 19 points in the first half. The efficiency was also high for the Virginia native guard thanks to 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. On the contrary, Paige Bueckers had a quiet night by her standards. She scored 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting (40%)!

Which was well below her tournament average of 35.0 points per game over her previous three outings. The 23-year-old faced high defensive pressure as she scored her first points with 4 minutes left in the first quarter. Some of the fans connected this to the crisis the team seemed to have when their star guards played together. “Because Paige WON’T PASS TO AZZI! I swear to God she doesn’t like when Azzi shines. Tell me any other reason why?”

The truth is their friendship started way before they became Huskies. Having first met on the USA Basketball U16 team, the UConn duo has since formed a blossoming friendship. Both their careers have been marred by significant injuries, limiting their ability to develop the seamless chemistry fans expected. Bueckers missed the entire 2022-23 season with an ACL tear, while Fudd suffered a season-ending ACL injury in November 2023, restricting her to just two games in the 2023-24 season. Even in the 2024-25 season, Fudd’s return was delayed, and the duo has only recently begun to share the court consistently.

As of January 22, the duo played only in 28 of 131 possible games together. That could be the reason for them not being so smooth together on the court.

However, the fans were not happy and wanted this to change. They pointed fingers at Bueckers, arguing her ball-dominant style stifles Fudd’s rhythm, with posts suggesting jealousy or a refusal to share the spotlight. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Despite deep connection, fans feel Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd’s disconnection on the court

When Fudd was the five-star recruit in the class of 2021 by ESPN, it was Bueckers who went above and beyond to convince her to join UConn. In fact, her pitch included talking to Fudd’s parents and showcasing the highlights of chances that Paige creates for her teammates. Thus, the Huskies profited as they signed 12th number-one recruit to sign with UConn since 1998. But fans are yet to see the chemistry on the court together. “its always something with one of them lmaoo.”

Before the season kicked off, even the head coach was “anxious,” to see his top two players in action. “It’s really an unknown at this point. I can only go by some of the things that I’ve seen I practice.” That was Geno Auriemma’s sentiment at the start of the season, and fans are wondering why there is no solution to it yet. “Idk why Paige and Azzi can’t ever click together 😭.”

Similarly, another fan felt only one of them could have a great night while the other might have an off day. A story that was visible during their Elite 8 win over the USC. In that game, it was Paige Bueckers who scored 31 points meanwhile, Fudd could only manage just 8 points in 34 minutes. “Like make it make sense lmao why yall can’t be elite at the same damn time.”

UConn has a storied history of dominant guard pairings—think Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, or Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore—whose on-court chemistry propelled the Huskies to titles. Bueckers and Fudd were expected to follow suit, but their inconsistent synergy contrasts sharply with those predecessors.

However, one fan was very optimistic and said, “Saving it for Sunday!” As is the rematch of the 2022 NCAA final where South Carolina emerged victorious. What better time for the best friends to shun every narrative as Paige Bueckers plays her final collegiate game?