Despite the Huskies enjoying a significant victory, there are concerns regarding one of their stars once again. Azzi Fudd made her highly anticipated return from an ACL injury, but it seems trouble is creeping in again. Fudd is not at her best yet, and just in her fourth game back, she is facing another setback—this time, a stomach issue.
Coach Geno Auriemma disclosed that Fudd’s status was uncertain right up until game time as they needed to closely monitor her condition. “Azzi’s been battling some stomach issues yesterday and today,” Geno said. “It was a game-time decision whether she was going to play at all. So we were monitoring her minutes really really well and how she was.”
Fudd played 18 minutes, scoring 7 points and grabbing one rebound—reverting to reduced minutes just as she was beginning to build up her playing time after her injury.
However, the head coach remains optimistic, noting that this situation allowed other players to gain more minutes than usual. Even with Fudd’s challenges, UConn still achieved an impressive 88-52 victory over Holy Cross, with freshman Sarah Strong stepping up to score 22 points.
She shot an incredible 9-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, and all of her points came in the second and third quarters. On top of that, #21 grabbed seven rebounds and picked up two steals. Then we have Kaitlyn Chen, who scored a season-high 14 points and dished out seven assists.
Paige Bueckers, consistently reliable, contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the game. Although the first half was somewhat sluggish, UConn came alive after halftime, outscoring the Crusaders 55-25 with an impressive shooting accuracy of 64.7%.
The Huskies took advantage of turnovers, scoring 29 points off them, and displayed excellent ball movement, recording 27 assists on 35 made field goals. Off the bench, KK Arnold and Morgan Cheli each chipped in 8 points, leading to a well-rounded and impressive victory for UConn. However, Azzi Fudd’s potential absence in upcoming games due to her stomach issues, as mentioned by the Huskies’ head coach in the postgame press conference, poses a significant concern for the team.
On a more positive note, could her condition be something minor? Prior to this game, Coach Auriemma appeared hopeful about Fudd’s return to the starting lineup, eliciting optimism from fans as her playing time increased with each outing.
When asked about the possibility of Azzi Fudd returning to the starting lineup, Coach Geno Auriemma provided an intriguing response. He gave a wink and said, “I think that’s a good assumption.”
This could indicate that she is close to securing a starting position, or it could mean that it’s not currently in the plans. Nonetheless, the potential 2025 WNBA draftee has been steadily improving since her season debut on November 20. Although she wasn’t in the starting lineup for this game, her minutes have been gradually increasing each game.
Leave a Reply