Thursday’s Georgetown–UConn matchup at CareFirst Arena was sold out weeks ahead of time, and it had little to do with the home team. The Mystics’ arena was flooded with No. 35 jerseys as fans showed up to celebrate Azzi Fudd’s final college homecoming.

To honor the moment, Geno Auriemma had some heartfelt things to say about Azzi, who came back to the city where she first became a star seven years ago.”I get a lot of satisfaction when you see a player, even from their freshman year, and everybody starts telling you how much potential they have and you know what a great player she is,” Auriemma said. 

He continued, “Sometimes that puts a lot of pressure on someone to live up to those things, and it can go sideways and get to them. But Azzi’s here today. She’s managed to handle it all exceptionally well. Throw in the injuries, and she’s managed to handle those exceptionally well, too.”

That’s big praise. Seven years ago, Azzi was just a prep star from Arlington, Virginia, playing at St. John’s College High School. In her sophomore year, she made history by becoming one of the first girls invited to Stephen Curry’s SC30 Select Camp,  and then won the three-point contest there.

Unfortunately for Azzi, everything changed not long after. She tore her ACL and missed her entire junior year at St. John’s, and then COVID wiped out her senior season. She still went on to commit to UConn, but despite losing two full years of high school basketball, the love she gets from her hometown never faded.

And that love was easy to see. Around 125 tickets went to Fudd’s family and friends,  including her grandparents, who almost never watch games in person. “They don’t come to too many games, don’t travel as much,” Fudd said. “I think this was my grandma’s second in-person game with me, actually playing. So definitely very grateful and I feel very loved today.”

Also in the stands was her mom, a Georgetown alum, and Mystics star Georgia Amoore. The crowd was loud for every Huskies bucket, but they absolutely roared whenever Fudd scored and especially when she was announced as a starter. That’s what happens when you’re playing just 30 minutes from home.

As Auriemma said, growing up as a player with sky-high expectations is never easy. Plenty of talented prospects have struggled under that pressure, and in Azzi Fudd’s case, she’s also had to battle through multiple injuries — not just in high school, but throughout her college career as well.

In her first three years in college, Fudd never played more than 25 games in a season because of injuries. However, last year she returned healthy and helped the Huskies win their 12th national championship, earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors in the process. That’s how you answer your critics and live up to the hype.

This year, she came back for her final season and has added even more to her all-around game, playing alongside a dominant Huskies squad led by sophomore Sarah Strong.

The Huskies have now won 36 in a row, and that kind of domination was on full display against Georgetown as well.

Azzi Fudd Shines In Her Final Homecoming Game

Against Georgetown, Azzi Fudd came out hunting shots early, maybe trying a little too hard in front of a UConn-heavy crowd. She started 0-for-7 from deep, but still ended up with 19 points, six boards, five assists, and two steals, including three made threes by the end.

The defending champions are now 20–0, their best start since the 2017–18 side opened with 36 straight wins before falling in the Final Four against Notre Dame. Of course, Azzi wouldn’t want to face the same fate, and so far she has led from the front alongside Sarah Strong. She’s averaging 17.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and the Huskies look like the favorites to win the championship once again.

This being Azzi’s final year in college is obviously bittersweet, but she has a real chance to make it unforgettable for the program and its fans. Her WNBA draft stock has never been higher, and there’s even talk of her teaming up with Paige Bueckers again in Dallas. Even if that doesn’t happen, she’s likely going top-3.

Top Stories

Mysterious Health Issues Force 3 PGA Tour Pros to Exit $9.2M Tournament Midway

Prayers Pour in for PGA Tour Champions Star as Cancer Diagnosis Comes to Light

Josh Allen’s Stance on Brian Daboll’s Hiring Confirmed as Bills Mafia Signs Petition for Sean McDermott’s Return

What Is Ben Shelton’s Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationality? Exploring His Family Roots & Background

PGA Tour’s Actions Against Rickie Fowler During $9.2M Event Faces Scathing Criticism

Patrick Mahomes Bids Emotional Goodbye as Chiefs Part Ways With Longtime Coach

That pretty much settles the “did she live up to the hype?” debate!