"I'm ugly crying": Azzi Fudd reacts to a momentous picture with Paige Bueckers

NCAA Womens Basketball: Louisville at Connecticut - Source: Imagn

Azzi Fudd played a big role in UConn's NCAA title triumph, dropping a masterclass in the Championship win against South Carolina.

However, things weren't so smooth sailing for the 22-year-old since committing to UConn in 2021. She suffered incessant injuries and missed out major chunks of the last two campaigns. This term was slightly different, as she unleashed her full potential, though.

Azzi Fudd, on GQ Sports' socials, reacted to an image of her and Paige Bueckers hugging and crying after clinching the National Championship.

"This is a cute picture. I'm kinda ugly crying, but that's alright. It kinda slowly sink in every now and again like 'Wow we really did that, can't believe'. It will continue to sink in, and I am gonna continue to just celebrate with my teammates and soak it all in," Azzi Fudd reacted after watching the image with Bueckers.

It has been a redemption season for the young guard, as she has been through a lot of hardships over the years before playing a key role in winning the title.

Paige Bueckers played a huge role in recruiting Azzi Fudd to UConn

Fudd and Paige Bueckers go back a long time, as they have been best friends since school days. The first met during the U-16 trials for America, and apart from helping Team USA win the gold at the youth national stage, they also dreamt of winning the NCAA Championship together.

Bueckers became the No.1 ranked-recruit in 2020 and commited to UConn. She made sure that her friend, Azzi Fudd, would join her a year later. The projected No. 1 pick for the 2025 WNBA draft made a compilation video of Fudd's best plays to convince UConn.

NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Championship - Source: Imagn

Bueckers' wish was fulfilled, and Fudd committed to the Huskies as the No. 1 ranked-recruit in the Class of 2021. However, the duo suffered years of heartbreak with injuries and unfulfilled promises.

This season, though, they won the NCAA title. They played well in tandem and guided coach Geno Auriemma's team back to the top for the first time since 2016. With Bueckers now leaving for WNBA, the mantle of UConn's title defence next season will likely fall on Fudd.

About the author

Atrayo Bhattacharya is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over seven years of experience in the field. He holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has worked for Khel Now, Sportz Interactive, Sports Rush and Newsbytes.

Atrayo follows Football, Cricket, NBA, Tennis, F1 and World Athletics and is a big fan of Bayern Munich and the Boston Celtics. He also supports the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

On the college scene, the Duke Blue Devils are Atrayo's favorite college team. They have an incredible legacy in the NCAA and Atrayo's favorite player, Jayson Tatum, came out of Duke.

Atrayo has interviewed quite a few international footballers like Roman Weidenfeller, Lothar Matthaus, Jens Lehmann, and Sarpreet Singh other than interviewing several personalities from the Indian Football Ecosystem.

When he is not watching or writing sports, Atrayo is either playing games or binge-watching a new TV series.

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Edited by Bhargav