How Azzi Fudd helped UConn destroy South Carolina, and what it means for her WNBA Draft prospects

If any team was going to turn Sunday afternoon’s highly anticipated showdown between No. 7 UConn and No. 4 South Carolina into a blowout, the money would have been on the defending national champion Gamecocks, who entered with a 71-game winning streak at home. Instead, the Huskies jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a stunning 87-58 road victory. 

There were a number of factors that led to UConn’s best win of the season, and South Carolina’s worst loss since 2018. None was more important than the Huskies’ massive advantage from 3-point range. They shot 13 of 28 from behind the arc, making nearly as many 3s as the Gamecocks attempted (3 of 17). The Huskies’ 30-point edge from downtown was almost identical to their 29-point margin of victory. 

Leading the way in the shooting department was Azzi Fudd, who made twice as many 3s as South Carolina by herself, and finished with 28 points, five rebounds and two assists on 11 of 22 from the field, including 6 of 10 from behind the arc. 

Fudd actually got off to a slow start. She missed her first four shots and went into the locker room at halftime having made just two of her 10 field goal attempts. Less than a minute into the third quarter, though, she got into the paint for a runner and never looked back. Fudd’s stunning third, in which she shot 7 of 9 and poured in 18 points to nearly match South Carolina’s entire team (21 points), slammed the door shut on any possible comeback attempt from the Gamecocks. 

Given the opponent and the location, this was arguably the best performance of Fudd’s career, which has been hampered by multiple knee injuries, including a torn ACL that cost her all but two games last season. Her 18 points in the third quarter were her most in any quarter in her career, and her 28 points were her fifth-highest scoring game since arriving in Storrs back in 2021. 

“It means so much,” Fudd said. “It’s really all on my teammates. They played incredible tonight, they got me open shots, they made great passes, gave me great looks. I’m just so grateful to play on such a selfless team. Everyone was putting their bodies on the line tonight, hustling and I’m so grateful to be here.”

Fudd’s comeback this season has been frustrating at times. She was understandably rusty in her first few games, then sprained her knee in a win over Louisville, which put her back on the sideline for two weeks. Upon her second return, she went scoreless in a loss to USC and had four consecutive single-digit scoring games. 

Recently, though, she finally started to round into form. She has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, her longest such streak since November 2022, and had a career-high 34 points earlier this week in a win over St. John’s. Including Sunday’s showing, Fudd is averaging 19.8 points on 62.2% shooting (28 of 45) from behind the arc during this hot streak. 

In UConn’s three losses this season, which came against Notre Dame, USC and Tennessee by a combined 17 points, Fudd was largely a non-factor. She missed the Notre Dame game, went scoreless vs. USC and had just 10 points on 3 of 9 shooting against Tennessee. 

As her performance and the result against South Carolina show, UConn is a much different team with Fudd playing at this level. 

What does this performance mean for Fudd’s WNBA prospects?

Fudd was once the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2021 and seemed destined to join the UConn factory line of WNBA lottery picks. Due to her injuries, though, Fudd’s professional prospects have become murky. In fact, it’s not even clear when she’ll declare for the WNBA draft. 

ESPN’s Michael Voepel said in his latest mock draft that Fudd was “likely to stay for another season of development with the Huskies.” Fudd took a medical redshirt last season so she has another year of eligibility, but she has not made an official statement either way. 

Voepel’s note was also written before these last two brilliant outings by Fudd, and a sharp rise in her draft stock could sway her to turn pro in 2025. Of course, that depends on how she plays the rest of the way, and how wary teams are of her medical history. 

Regardless, the fact that she scored like this against a high-level defense was exactly what evaluators will want to see. 

There has never been any question about Fudd’s shooting ability, and Sunday further established her status as an elite threat. Her quick release, good footwork and ability to reset after misplaced passes were all on display. She also showed that she can hit shots off movement and off the dribble. 

Of course, there are a lot of great shooters out there, and you have to offer more than that to be a top draft pick. Against the Gamecocks, Fudd put her dribble drive game on display in both transition and the halfcourt, and showed she can attack closeouts and aggressive defenders. 

This version of Fudd is a dynamic offensive threat who would be a certain first-round pick. And depending on when she declares and which teams are on the board, Fudd becoming a lottery selection wouldn’t be out of the question, especially if she shows she can reach this level more consistently.