The UConn women’s basketball team will make the trip to Tampa this week for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament in a familiar position.
The Huskies have been the sport’s dominant program for the past 30 years, with 11 national championships and 23 Final Fours since 1995. Despite being the lone non-No. 1 seed in this year’s Final Four, they’re the favorite to leave Amalie Arena with a title heading into Friday night's semifinal matchup with No. 1 overall seed UCLA.
Coach Geno Auriemma’s team has gotten to the biggest stage in its sport behind a deep and talented roster, one that features, among others, three-time first-team All-American Paige Bueckers and national freshman of the year Sarah Strong.
Then there’s Azzi Fudd.
The No. 1 recruit nationally in the 2021 class has taken a longer road to get to the Final Four than many. While she’s excelling now for the Huskies, ranking third on the team in scoring, she has endured several setbacks over the course of her career, particularly when it comes to major injuries.
As UConn looks to add to the program’s already robust trophy case, here’s a closer look at Fudd and her injury history:
Azzi Fudd injury history
Fudd’s injury woes began years before she first stepped on a college court.
As a high-schooler, Fudd was one of the most heralded prospects in recent memory. She was one of the first girls to attend Steph Curry’s SC30 Select Camp and once there, she was awarded a trophy by Curry himself for being the best shooter there. She became the first sophomore ever to win Gatorade National Player of the Year, with two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne handing her the trophy for the honor. ESPN described her as “the best high school talent the game has seen in decades.”
That rapid ascent, however, soon encountered an obstacle. While competing at the USA Basketball 3-on-3 U18 nationals in April 2019, Fudd’s knee buckled when she came down from a contested layup attempt. An MRI confirmed the worst fears — she had torn her ...
