“Do I think she’s ready?” It’s the question that haunts the winningest coach in women’s college basketball every time one of his players stands at the crossroads of their career. For Geno Auriemma, sending a player to the WNBA isn’t just about talent—it’s about truth. And the truth isn’t always easy to hear. Just ask Diana Taurasi. Ask Paige Bueckers. The road to the next level is paved with tough lessons and sharp critiques. Now, as another 22-year-old UConn star faces that same moment of reckoning, Geno isn’t holding back regarding his marquee player’s ‘consistency’.
In a recent post by UConn on SNY, Geno Auriemma made it abundantly clear: “So usually it’s things that she’s (Azzi Fudd) already good at that I want to remind her that if you’re not doing those things, then you’re not being Azzi Fudd, you know!”
The message came after UConn’s dominant 82-54 win over Villanova, where Fudd, known as the People’s Princess, put up 14 points on 4-9 shooting with four rebounds. Solid numbers, but for Auriemma, it is more than the box score.
“She puts a lot of pressure on herself… She’s got all these things going through her head, probably analyzing every shot, every aspect of the shot. So I tend to not put any pressure on her.” But Azzi opposed this, admitting she could take the heat, and she wasn’t a “baby”!
From Geno’s years of experience, the head coach pointed out how Fudd (and youngsters in general) sometimes hesitate, fearing mistakes: “A lot of these kids, it’s interesting, because they don’t want to hurt the team. So they think, if I don’t take this open shot, if I’m not shooting well, I’m not going to shoot it. And that’s what hurts the team.”
That hesitation was evident in UConn’s game against Creighton, where Fudd struggled with just nine points on 3-11 shooting, three rebounds, and one assist. UConn still cruised to a 72-53 victory, but Auriemma’s point was clear—Azzi has to impact the game beyond her shooting display and back herself if she wants to make it to the next level.
Although, that’s not the only concern.
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In a recent interview, when asked if Azzi Fudd is ready for the next level, Auriemma didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Do I think she’s ready? Um, I mean, I’ve always thought to myself that players have to be tremendously confident when they leave here about what the next step for them is,” he said. “And I just want her to make sure that she’s played enough basketball here, done enough things, tested herself enough, that she feels completely 100% ready to go.”
Translation? The choice is hers—but she better be sure!
While nobody can make the decision for Fudd, WNBA legend Sue Bird weighed in on the dilemma.
Stay with Geno or go pro? WNBA legend Sue Bird weighs in on Azzi Fudd’s crossroads
Offering her own perspective on a recent episode of A Touch More podcast, Bird pointed out a crucial factor: Fudd simply hasn’t played enough college basketball. “Okay, so because of injuries, she didn’t actually play a lot of college games,” Bird admitted. “All of her seasons have essentially been cut short in some way, shape, or form.”
And that is true from her freshman year to her senior year, Fudd has had an injury almost every year, and all of them were either related to her knees or ankles. That ‘lack of mileage’ is honestly both a reason to stay and a reason to go.
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