In UConn’s recent 72-69 win against the Wolverines, Azzi Fudd’s stupendous scoring helped the Connecticut Huskies triumph over the Michigan Wolverines. The Arlington native scored 31 points to make a definitive statement. She hit 3’s like Michigan owed her money and dug free throws with impeccable accuracy. Moreover, she also managed to outrebound Michigan (47-43), which was crucial to ensure the lead, as Michigan was breathing down their necks. Needless to say that after Paige Buecker departed from UConn, she has become the most sought-after player in college basketball.

Naturally, the HOF showcase generated a lot of interest, which resulted in peak-level viewership that racked up 1.2 million viewers. Approximately 1.2 million viewers had tuned into Fox to watch this showdown of epic proportions. But what made it so special that it would rake in so many views?

Was it merely Azzi Fudd’s star power that got people talking, or was there something more to it? It surely had to be something more cause it wasn’t a match between the top two in the NCAA (UConn and South Carolina) that got the eyes on the game. Their last meeting in the 2024-25 season capped a viewership of 9.9 million. So, without much deliberation, we can acknowledge that it was Fudd who grabbed the eyeballs but how?

It’s no secret that the 23-year-old is a charismatic player and is adored by the basketball sorority alike. Her relationship with star player Paige Bueckers has been the talk of the town, and with the upcoming draft looming on the horizon, the fans are keeping their fingers crossed to see Fudd and her partner relive the magic of UConn with the Wings circa 2025 NCAA Championship.

Furthermore, a strong lead needs an equally challenging opposition, and that was Syla Swords. As they say, it takes two to tango, and Michigan’s Syla Swords played the perfect dancing partner. Swords accumulated 29 points on 9-for-21 shooting. Out of the nine, eight came from finding the hoop from beyond the arc. Such was Syla’s impact that she made 8 3’s made up 75% of the shots that counted.

So as Azzi Fudd (UConn Huskies) and Syla Swords (Michigan Wolverines) tried to outdo one another with their elegant play, the game reached new heights. Something that fans were used to witnessing when Caitlin Clark was dancing on court. The media even coined a term for that -“The Caitlyn Clark Effect”. Remember South Carolina’s game against Iowa in 2022 that drew in approximately 18.7 million people, setting the bar in women’s basketball?

At the end of the enthralling match, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma spoke openly about the challenges he knew the game entailed. ” I knew this was gonna be hard, because they’re good. They’re very, very, very good. They’re one of the best teams that I’ve seen. I can’t say I’ve seen everybody play, but I haven’t seen many teams better than them, that’s for sure,”

The Fans Stamp of Approval

With such a flagrant level of athleticism on display and a nail-biting climax, the fans were noticeably enthralled. And the reactions from the fans reflected their respect and appreciation for the match. While one user wrote, ” What a great game!!!! Kept you on the edge of your seat in the second half,” sharing her excitement, another applauded the player with two simple but effective words -“Good Game”.

And why wouldn’t they be impressed? The game wasn’t lopsided by any means. Just a brief overview of the stats paints the picture to perfection. UConn and Michigan were equal in total rebounds (36), field goal percentage 37.7 and 35.6, and steals 8 and 7, respectively. Even the scoring in the paint was like looking into a mirror.

Another Instagram user earnestly wrote, ” Should have been followed by the WNBA draft”. You can’t argue that, after all the buzz that Azzi Fudd is generating, it would have been really interesting to see which team she would have been drafted into. Putting all the curiosity to rest. Either way, the match will surely go down in history as the NCAA women’s basketball match that just served the right ingredients in a perfect concoction.

And no, it wasn’t just the fans who were “wowed” by the game, UConn head coach Auriemma too didn’t hold back to shower praise on the game, along with the two special athletes – Azzi Fudd and Syla Swords .” Those are two of the best shooters in the country playing tonight, you know, against each other, and they both put on quite a show,”