For the undefeated UConn Huskies, the approach of March brings a paradoxical challenge. While the wins pile up, a quiet but critical shift is happening inside the locker room, and according to star Azzi Fudd, it’s the key to their entire season.

The UConn senior, Azzi Fudd, was also the star of the show in UConn’s recent victories over Tennessee and DePaul, where she scored 27 and 25 points, respectively. So what makes UConn so dangerous as we close in on the NCAA playoffs, and how does the team deal with the locker room shifts as the hardest part of the season approaches? Azzi recently opened up about it on her podcast.

“But I feel like once you’re in February, you start to see like roles start to be developed, start to see habits, and starting to see people really fit into their role and like excel in that role and not just like shy away but really like step in that role, shine in their role,” revealed Fudd on how the team gets more focused with their respective roles before the playoffs come knocking on the door.

Well, fitting into their respective roles has never been a problem for Azzi Fudd, to be honest, as she is having a phenomenal season. The shooting guard is averaging 17.5 pts, 2.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 49.2 FG%, which tells you everything you need to know about how well she is doing.

And it’s not just Azzi Fudd, but her teammates too, who aren’t missing a beat. Sarah Strong (19.2 pts), Serah Williams (7.3 pts), and Ashlynn Shade (7.6 pts) are all proving to be indispensable in their respective roles as well. Even the rotation players like Jana El Afly, Kayleigh Heckel, and Allie Ziebell are all playing their part effectively.

While the forward and guard combo of Strong and Fudd is doing most of the damage on the court and is the able ringleaders, this level of domination wouldn’t have been possible without the presence of able teammates, and that is what has been setting the tone for this team.

Geno Auriemma knows how impactful both Strong and Fudd have been and doesn’t shy away from giving them their due credit.

Auriemma Praises Fudd and Strong For Their Contributions To The Huskies

What more can a coach ask for when he has two of the conference’s top scorers on his team? Well, Geno Auriemma is indeed a lucky coach as he gets to play the duo of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, who have contributed 40% of the Huskies’ scoring this season, showcasing their importance to the team’s success.

Seeing these two come together on the court and disrupt everything that the opposition throws at you must feel like a treat to the eyes for Auriemma.

“Sarah’s voice is getting louder. Azzi, she doesn’t use her voice a lot, but when she does, it’s pretty impactful. That’s why they are who they are.” Auriemma noted.

Well, you cannot argue with that. While Fudd has been in the limelight because of her charisma and her connection with Bueckers, Strong has made herself into UConn’s next big icon who will take up the mantle of leadership once Fudd’s college career ends next year.

Sarah has been averaging 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, dominating on the paint with her rim attacks and also securing her defense. The combination of Fudd and Strong is straight up lethal, and so far, no team has figured out a way to handle them effectively.

With March closing in and the team looking to dig even deeper under the watchful eye of Geno Auriemma, it means nothing but problems for any team that dares to step in their path without ample preparation. Azzi Fudd is leading this pack of feral Huskies on court, who do not step off the gas for even a second, and any team that does is nothing but ‘dead meat’.