The 2024-25 season marked a proud return for UConn, reclaiming the NCAA title after nearly a decade. Paige Bueckers led the charge, but Azzi Fudd’s presence was just as crucial to their success. While she has not been a leading scorer for her team until now, her consistency has been the key to the Huskies’ deep tournament runs. Now, fresh off that championship, the Huskies have confirmed another thrilling update about her return for the 2025-26 season.

Before UConn’s preseason game against South Carolina, Geno handed Fudd the game ball from her 1,000-point milestone. She had reached that mark against the same team in last season’s championship. Soon after the emotional moment, UConn shared another major update on X: “Azzi Fudd is on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list! The award goes to the nation’s top shooting guard.” The honor sets the stage for another big year for the Huskies.

Did you know? The Award was started in 2018 to honor the legacy of Ann Meyers Drysdale. Meyers broke barriers as the first high school player to join the U.S. national team and the first woman to earn a full athletic scholarship to UCLA.

Victoria Vivians of Mississippi State claimed the inaugural award, while USC star Juju Watkins currently holds it. Watkins has also made history as the only two-time winner of the prestigious honor. With Juju missing the season to rehab from her ACL injury, Azzi Fudd is one of the favorites for the award.

This isn’t the first time that last year’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player has been on the watchlist. However, coming off the championship win and her role set to be even bigger this time around, there is a good reason that she will be leading the race. Even while playing with Paige Bueckers, she has shown incredible scoring prowess, as evidenced by her MOP-winning performance in the final (24 points). But now that she will get even more touches, her scoring is expected to improve significantly.

Where is Azzi Fudd expected to be selected in the 2026 WNBA draft?

Even before the 2025-26 college basketball season kicks off, there are already predictions being made for the 2026 WNBA draft. Even though there are a lot of other things to figure out, such as the CBA negotiations, expansion draft, draft lottery, and more, the mock predictions are already in.

According to these predictions, Lauren Betts (UCLA) is set to be selected as the first overall pick. But according to most mock drafts, Azzi Fudd is a lock to be picked from #2 to #5. She is the consensus best shooting guard in the draft, and any team looking for a scoring punch would be open to drafting her.

In Azzi’s last season, she averaged 13.6 points per game while shooting 47.4% from the field and an incredible 43.6% shooting from beyond the arc. And with this year set to bring an increase in her scoring numbers, her draft stock could change. As per the mock draft lottery results, a reunion with her girlfriend, Paige Bueckers, at the Dallas Wings seems unlikely.

If the lottery results remain as in the mock drafts, she could join any team from the Minnesota Lynx (second overall), the Seattle Storm (third), the Washington Mystics (fourth), or the Chicago Sky. While these are just predictions, we should keep in mind that these mock drafts are fluid. The final team will depend on how the players perform in the 2025-26 college basketball season.