“I don’t even really remember her in tryouts”: Paige Bueckers sends cocky message to Azzi Fudd in playful banter

Although Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd now play together for the UConn Huskies, they first shared the court with Team USA. During her media availability on Friday, Fudd recalled her first impression of Bueckers at Team USA tryouts, where they both competed for the point guard spot.

The redshirt junior guard admitted she was confident in her ability to outperform Bueckers. However, they both ended up making the team. When Bueckers heard this, she responded mockingly:

"It sounds like she was more worried about me. I don't even really remember her in tryouts. We were on the same team, but I didn't even realize that we were fighting for the same position at that point. I was just trying to make the team as whatever."

"But then, as we made the team, we were like the first and second people off the bench, so we really just bonded and played extremely well off each other starting then. And then just grew as the years went by."

When Azzi Fudd joined the Huskies a year after Bueckers, fans were eager to see the former teammates play together again. Back-to-back injuries delayed this, but in the 2024-25 season, the two guards finally got to share the court.

Paige Bueckers is on the threshold of an important milestone at UConn

Paige Bueckers, in her fifth season with the Huskies, has scored 1,994 points so far in her career. During Sunday's game against Seton Hall, she is expected to surpass the 2,000 career points mark, becoming the 12th player in UConn history to achieve this milestone and breaking Maya Moore's record six games earlier.

During a media chat on Friday at the Werth Champions Center, Bueckers was asked about this and she responded:

“It's kind of crazy to hear. But then, like, I'm talking to Coach yesterday, and Maya's got 3,000. So, you look everywhere around and humble yourself."

"So obviously, I'm grateful, extremely blessed, and it's kind of surreal to think about all the people that have passed through here and my journey and how I've come to be where I am. And I guess that's a pretty cool feat.”

This is Bueckers' final season at UConn and she is averaging an impressive 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals. She is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.