“This little white girl’s got nothing on me”: Azzi Fudd recalls her first impression of Paige Bueckers at Team USA tryouts

Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers' combination was one of the most anticipated duos when the guard joined the UConn Huskies in 2021. Both players were top-ranked recruits, and fans were excited to see them play together. However, UConn wasn't the first time they donned the same jersey.

Fudd and Bueckers met for the first time at the USA Basketball tryouts. The redshirt junior was asked about her first impressions of the star guard during her media availability on Friday.

"I was trying out for the point guard position and so was she," Fudd recalled. "We were getting down to who the actual 12 were going to be, and I don't remember if I was going against her or not, but I remember thinking like, 'Oh this little white girl’s got nothing on me. I don't have to worry about her. I'll make the next cut over her.'

"And then we both ended up making the team, and I realized how incredibly talented she was."

Back-to-back injuries delayed their time together on the court, and after three years of waiting, fans were able to see Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers play together in the 2024-25 season. However, this was short-lived as Fudd sustained a knee sprain first and then Bueckers also got injured earlier this month.

---

Azzi Fudd is slowly finding her way around the court

In her sophomore season, Fudd played just 15 games and then suited up for two in the 2023-24 season. She tore her ACL on Nov. 13, 2023, and was sidelined for the rest of the campaign. After more than a year, she returned to court on Nov. 20.

With the long breaks, Fudd is still finding her confidence in scoring. In UConn's 81-27 win over Xavier on Jan. 8, she scored a season-high 23 points with an efficient 9-of-14 shooting. During her chat with the media ahead of Sunday's game against Seton Hall, Azzi Fudd was asked about her confidence in making every shot.

"That hasn't been the norm lately but I'm getting close to getting back to that feeling," she said. (0:11)

When asked if it was an issue of feeling more comfortable in her legs post-surgery, Fudd agreed, saying:

"I think, last game, I kind of got into a little rhythm with my pull-up again. And so that was nice. That's kind of the first game in a while that I've felt good about my pull-up.

"I think just like bit by bit, trying to chip away and trying to feel more comfortable with or feeling like my shot's actually going to go in every time."

In seven games this season, Azzi Fudd is averaging 9.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals.