Azzi Fudd was expected to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft with Paige Bueckers, but she chose to stay at UConn after another injury-hit year. Auriemma urged her to prove she could sustain her best level, and she agreed she had more to show. Now she is finally producing like a consistent star. Still, it is fair to wonder whether her return was only about her growth or also about boosting UConn’s 2025 title chances?

When Fudd returned to UConn, the Huskies regained a true driving force. She and Sarah Strong have helped soften the massive void left by Paige Bueckers’ move to the WNBA, though UConn’s elite scouting has long kept them from feeling the loss of departing stars. Even early in the season, Azzi has been exactly what they needed.

As Geno said, “Azzi’s the one. We know if we get her enough touches, something is going to happen.” And he leans on her exactly that way.

Through five games, she’s been the offensive engine. She’s delivering elite efficiency and impact. Against Michigan alone, she scored 31 points in 39 minutes, knocking down 7-of-12 threes and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. It proved how dangerous she becomes with a heavy workload. Even in games with fewer minutes, she consistently generates offense.

Azzi had 23 points against Florida and 19 points with seven assists against Ohio State. Her scoring has never dipped below nine points, and she’s added defensive pressure with steals and blocks in nearly every outing.

So yes, Azzi is unstoppable. She’s scoring, creating plays, and elevating the entire offense with high efficiency. But her recent performance against Michigan stands out the most. Two of the nation’s best defensive teams went head-to-head. Even Geno called Michigan “the best team we’ll play this early in the season,” and he wasn’t wrong.

UConn looked ready to run away with the game, building a 17-point lead midway through the third quarter. Then Michigan rallied. They used a 13-0 run to pull within 49-45 entering the fourth. That’s exactly when Fudd took over.

“That third quarter, looking at this box score, seeing that we scored four points. It felt like that, but that is not OK,” Fudd said. “It felt like we weren’t focused on defense.” She ended a nearly nine-minute scoring drought, drilling a three and starting her own personal 9-0 run. That pushed the Huskies back to a double-digit lead. But Michigan wasn’t done.

They trimmed it to 68-66 in the final minute. After Syla Swords hit a three with 22 seconds left, Michigan fouled Fudd. She calmly hit both free throws. But Swords answered again with a deep three, cutting it to 70-69.

Then, Fudd hit two more free throws with eight seconds left, and finally she finished with 31 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. She hit seven threes and went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 20 seconds. It was an MVP performance. And it earned high praise from Geno – something rare for a coach who’s led legends like Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Paige Bueckers. If Geno is praising her this much, a new star is clearly rising.

But while Fudd ascends, UConn still has concerns

Everything looked good until the second half of the game versus Michigan State. That’s because it was when UConn shot a dismal 13.3% from the field. They scored just four points in the third quarter. Taking advantage, the Wolverines turned up their defensive pressure and forced six of the Huskies’ 17 turnovers in the game. But the game grew worse. UConn went scoreless for the final six minutes and 19 seconds of the third quarter while Michigan went on a 13-0 run.

“We needed to focus, because it felt like we weren’t focused on defense (in the third), but really to settle,” Azzi Fudd said. “We always have trust in each other no matter what’s going on in the game, so we were just reminding each other stay calm, we got this. Like it’s time. It’s time to go.” Is it the first time, though?

Even against Ohio State, UConn struggled offensively. They committed seven turnovers in the first quarter alone and had no player scoring over nine points at halftime. Their offense was not flowing. So while UConn has a clear 5-0 start to the season, they need to reanalyze the team’s offense before they face USC on December 14.