What are Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and other UConn stars’ college GPA?

UConn women's basketball players Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Kaitlyn Chen and others may be required to focus on their collegiate basketball careers, but they also excel academically. On Wednesday night, 11 of 13 UConn players were recognized for making the athletic director's honor roll during the halftime of the Huskies 78-40 Big East win over St. John's at Gampel Pavilion.

Fifth-year guard Bueckers received her bachelor's degree in human development and family sciences in May 2023 with a 3.497 cumulative GPA. She was named 2023-24 College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American in 2024. In the fall semester of her 2023-24 season, Bueckers attained a 3.9 GPA, earning her 2024 BIG EAST WBB Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

Fudd graduated in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in communication. She had GPAs of 3.68 and 3.89. Fudd is currently pursuing a master's degree at UConn.

Chen, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in medical anthropology from Princeton last year, earned a 4.0 GPA while is pursuing a master's degree in sports management at UConn.

Sixth-year forward Griffin graduated with a bachelor's degree in women's studies in May 2023 and now studies minors in human development and family sciences, and urban community. However, her GPA was not made public.

Others on the athletic director's honor roll include Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson, Qadence Samuels, Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Jana El Alfy, Morgan Cheli, and Sarah Strong.

A student-athlete must have made a 3.0 grade point average in the spring or fall semester before being included in the athletic director's honor roll.

Geno Auriemma reacts to Paige Bueckers and other UConn players being recognized in the athletic director's honor roll

In 2023, eight out of 12 UConn players were recognized for making 3.0 and above GPAs. Last year, 11 out of 14 players made the list. This year, about 85.7 percent were recognized, a number that UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was proud of.

"I don't know what the perception is out there about college student-athletes," Auriemma said per CT Insider. "Sometimes the perception is that they're hired mercenaries. But that doesn't mean that they don't value what it is they're doing off the court and in the classroom. It's always been like that."

"I always make a point to let everyone know that 95 percent of those in schools and those athletic departments that these kids are unbelievable students. But who's going to write an article about the GPA of the track team or the swimming team? There are some high-profile sports and people want to know are they really student-athletes or they not," Auriemma added.

While admitting that not everyone can be like Paige Bueckers, he insisted that one must be motivated to do well in school. Meanwhile, UConn has maintained a 100 percent graduation record for four-year students in Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey's four-decade tenure in the program.