Let’s be irresponsible: Azzi Fudd’s jumper is quick, minimal, and the most beautiful in the world. It was ordained by Fudd’s namesake, Olympian Jennifer Her Atzi, who holds the record for her percentage of all-time 3-pointers in the WNBA.It was Modeled after a shot of Fudd’s motherKatie Fudd played in Georgetown and the two have spent years honing together. It stole the show at Stephen Curry’s invite-only basketball camp, where Fudd was the first girl to attend when she was 15. She won the camp’s three-point shoot-her contest and was given a prize. held its own when another shooting competition Against Steph and Del Curry. When Fudd committed to UConn in his 2020, Steph told ESPN’s Katie Burns“I think she has more textbook jumpers than anyone I’ve seen. Could be Klay Thompson and Aji Fudd.”
The shots are really, really good, and the only real complaint about Azzi Fudd is that she’s turned into a college career in a year, but it seems like she’s not shooting enough. “She’s too nice,” said Geno Auriemma after Fudd scored 22 points in the second half in an 86-79 win over Caitlin Clarke and the Iowa Hawkeyes. ‘She worries too much about the team and everyone,’ she said.
Fudd’s cowardice last year made sense, even if it frustrated fans and her coaches.She arrived at UConn with a pile of hype on her shoulders, dealt with her leg injury that sidelined her freshman year for weeks, and is one of college basketball’s biggest stars. I shared the backcourt with Paige Bookers. Profile of Fudd who ran at The Athletic In October of this year, it became clear that anxiety of all kinds had plagued her as a freshman.she is the team Lost to South Carolina in last year’s NCAA Championship—Fudd had gastroenteritis and only played 16 minutes—“the worst UConn team.” When a leg injury kept her out of the regular season games, she feared she had canceled her contract with the NIL, telling her parents, “Even though she can’t even play, “Why do you want to work with her?” In hindsight, all of these pressures seem like a pretty obvious explanation for Fudd’s lackluster season. Even in basketball’s new era of touted camps and viral high school mixtapes, the tension never quite goes away. And it’s also a little reassuring. She might end up being the best player in the country.
Fudd’s performance against Iowa yesterday was exactly what Auriemma wanted from her. It was this determination that proved the difference. Fudd only scored two points in the first half, but came alive in the third quarter when Iowa led her by 11 points. No offense intended, but who is your Player of the Year? Clarke going 0-5 off the field in a scoreless third quarter? Or Fudd going 7-7 with 16 points? (People are talking…) Seriously, it was a rare treat to see the two share the court: Senpai always in heat check mode A battle with a shy and mentally opposite sophomore.
What the two have in common is their ability to take over entire games on shoots, and the Huskies are relying on Fudd to do just that this year. Jr. Nika Mule (seen making a nice pass in the first clip above) has replaced Viewkers at point guard and is currently averaging. 11 assist games. Versatile junior post his player Aaliyah his Edwards didn’t look out of place to guard Clarke on the perimeter. But the leap Auriemma needed was one taken by Fudd. In five games (three of which were against top 10 teams), Fudd averaged 25 points. His one of those top 10 teams was No. 3 Texas at the time, and Fudd scored his season-high 32 points. “After seeing that, there’s not enough Tylenol for me to take,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer later said.
In many of her recent interviews, Fudd distinguishes between who she is now and “Freshman Azzi,” an insecure, insecure, unhealthy shell of herself. I’m Azzi, a second-year student. May she give all her opponents a headache.
