Azzi Fudd’s 32-point ‘player-of-the-year performance’ lifts UConn over Texas

STORRS — In the eyes of UConn Women’s Basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma, no player has a heavy burden on his shoulders as 2020-21 Player of the Year Paige Bookers out of season than guard Aji Fad.

And in the first major test of his sophomore campaign, Fudd served the Huskies big time. Her career-high 32 points lifted her No. 5 UConn over No. 3 Texas 83-76 in both teams’ first major non-conference matchups Monday night . seasonal.

Fudd’s barrage in the first two games of 2022-23 (26 against Northeastern, 58 total) is the most by any UConn player to win in the first two games of a season in the last 20 years. Diana TaurasiA total of 57 in the first two games of 2003-04.

Fudd’s 32 points are also the most ever scored by a UConn player against a top-five opponent. Taurasi also dropped that amount in his 2002 game against Tennessee for No. 2.

Texas coach Vic Schaeffer said of Fudd’s onslaught, “After seeing it, I don’t have enough Tylenol to take. ‘She’s really good, really good. Special.'”

“Obviously, she didn’t do it alone,” Auriemma said. “But it was an All-American performance today. .”

Fudd had a fairly quiet first half, scoring just 10 points on 5-8 shooting, one of which was a 3-point attempt.he was tasked with lifting the ball more Lou Lopez Senechalfoul trouble and suffered six turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Fudd scored 22 points in the second half, including 17 of the Huskies’ 20 points in the fourth quarter. She sank four of her six threes after halftime.

“I don’t know why I didn’t shoot as much in the first half, but I was open a few times. My teammates kept telling me to shoot and I let them go in the second half. And they went in,” Hood said. “I think we were calmer in the second half. We were able to run more things.”

Auriemma said he told her earlier in the season that she had to be a little like Buckers and a little like herself in order to provide what the team needed.

“She says, ‘Coach, it’s a big deal…but it’s not something I can’t handle,'” Auriema said. “Well, she’s starting to realize that it’s a lot for her to handle now. But if you’re as good as she is, you live for the moment, right?”

Texas reigning Big 12 freshmen without a star point guard loli harmon (Sunday, toe), leading at 6:50 in the first half. But aside from his final four minutes of the game, UConn was mostly in control after the first quarter when the Longhorns were able to close his 17-point deficit to his seven.

Transfer to DePaul Sonya Morris They led the Longhorns with 21 points, including five 3s.

“We have to improve our defense,” said Schaefer, whose team is known for its defense. “Usually that’s the last thing you get during the season and because there are so many new players…we’ll be better tomorrow thanks to tonight but we’ll be a better team in February .

UConn (2-0) are 9-1 against the top five teams in the 2013-14 season.

Texas (1-1) next travels to the Bahamas for Battle 4 Atlantis. The field also includes ranked teams Louisville and Tennessee. The Huskies will host another top 10 opponent, No. 10 NC State, at the XL Center on Sunday as they look to clean up some of the mistakes from Monday.

“Nika [Muhl] Probably best said,” Auriema said. [Monday] We could be really, really good, or we could be really, really bad.”