Azzi Fudd has been to hell and back during her UConn career. Multiple foot injuries, an ACL and medial meniscus tear, she has never been at her best until this season. “Knowing what Azzi’s been through, what she’s had to go through all these years, I would think she sees this as a kind of ‘I deserve this,'” Geno Auriemma said. She is in her final season of her UConn career, a landmark moment. Naturally, the spotlight is on Fudd, especially since the 2026 WNBA draft is around the corner. Nevertheless, Fudd is in no mood to take any unnecessary pressure. 

The UConn star has had an extraordinary season. After three long years of injuries and recovery, she has finally come into her own. In 34 games, she has averaged 17.7 points and 3.0 assists and is shooting 44.6% from the three-point line. All career highs. She is in the running for almost all major national awards and potentially being the No. 1 draft pick as well. Stardom brings attention. Ahead of the biggest tournament of her life so far, Fudd was pretty casual about the media hype. 

“If anything, no offense, the media is just annoying,” Fudd said, triggering laughs from the present reporters. “I’ve done it this year. I haven’t really been on Instagram. I feel like I go on TikTok and my TikTok is literally anything but basketball. I get an occasional edit of Sarah or KK. But other than that, I’ve tried my best to stay off of that. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see all the different noise from media and what people are saying, whether it’s about the team, about me, or about the draft.”

Beyond just her performances at the most popular program in women’s basketball, her personal life is also a scrutinized media interest. She has been dating Dallas Wings and former UConn star Paige Bueckers for a while now. That brings another facet to the perception around her and controversies as well. ESPN took Fudd to No. 1 in their mock draft almost immediately after the Dallas Wings won the lottery. The speculation quickly took on another layer when fans began connecting the projection to Fudd’s relationship with Bueckers.

That raised some eyebrows because the popular consensus was that Wings needed a big. Some drew the correlation that Bueckers is pushing her franchise to draft her girlfriend despite her being a subpar fit. Now, that is a debatable question. The point is that there was noise that could have affected Fudd and her mental state. However, her social media mantra paid off as she was able to focus on her basketball. 

“It’s so easy to get distracted, but I found that it’s so peaceful,” Fudd further said. “It really helps you stay present and focused on what you’re doing. Your free time is great, but it takes away from me spending more time with my teammates. I feel like that’s been a great adjustment.”

Ultimately, she can’t control these narratives. So, there is no point in paying too much attention to them. Fudd’s goal is clear: to win the National Championship and end her college career with a bang. After UConn was announced as the No. 1 overall seed, Fudd was just itching to get back on the court.

Azzi Fudd Reveals Feelings After UConn Trumps UCLA For No.1 Overall Seed 

Boos from UCLA fans echoed through the Mo Ostin Center as soon as the Huskies were announced as having edged the Bruins for the No. 1 overall seed. The Bruins (31-1) had a strong case, with more Quad 1 victories and more wins over nationally ranked teams, but the Huskies were the nation’s only undefeated team with a 34-0 record.  Regardless, Geno Auriemma doesn’t care if they were No. 1 or No. 2.

“Over the next three weeks, if you’re fortunate enough to play all three weeks, you have to beat the best teams. It doesn’t matter whether you’re one, two, three, four, whatever you are,” he said.

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The Huskies were placed in the Fort Worth 1 region, facing UTSA in the first round. They will face the winner of Iowa State and Syracuse in the second. The Huskies also have second seed Vanderbilt on their docket, as master Geno can face student Shea Ralph in the Elite Eight if both teams avoid an upset.  Preparing for their title defense, Azzi Fudd feels nothing but excitement. 

“Just excitement,” Azzi Fudd said. “I feel like that was it. It’s always interesting to see what comes out, but it’s excitement, especially after having a week of practice. You’re ready to play.”

You get the mood that UConn is all about business and locked in. That is scary for the rest of the bracket, as this is the best team in the country sofar. The only way a team is going to beat this is through some mistakes on UConn’s part. Currently, they don’t look like they are taking anyone lightly. However, it’s still March and anything can happen.