Coco Gauff sends touching message to Paige Bueckers & Azzi Fudd after they lead UConn to NCAA basketball championship win

By S Shahi

Modified Apr 07, 2025 00:58 GMT

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd (L), Coco Gauff (R) [Source: Getty]

Coco Gauff expressed her elation in wishing the Connecticut Huskies a sweep of the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship. Gauff offered extended applause to the evening's stars, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, for leading UConn to a deserving national title.

The championship game, played on April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, saw UConn defeating the defending champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Huskies blitzed to an 82-59 victory and secured their 12th national championship and their first since 2016.

Azzi Fudd scored a game-high 24 points and was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Paige Bueckers, in her dominant goodbye game, had 17 points, six boards, and three assists. Freshman Sarah Strong also stepped up with a double-double, putting up 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Gauff did not hesitate to join the wave of praise almost immediately after the final buzzer. On her Instagram stories, she posted a message that was half fangirl and half fellow elite sportswoman:

"Unbelievable @paigebueckers @azzi35 congratulations."

Screengrab of Coco Gauff's Instagram stories (@cocogauff)

Coco Gauff looked back fondly on support from Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd during the 2024 US Open 3R

In Picture: Coco Gauff during the 2024 Paris Olympics (Source: Getty)

In her third-round game against Elina Svitolina at the 2024 US Open, Coco Gauff had a couple of A-list visitors in her player's box—UConn basketball superstars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. Speaking about the pair during her post-match interview, Gauff stated that she had connected with them on social media and was looking forward to greeting them in person at the tournament.

"Yeah, Paige and Azzi, I've known them on social media for a while. Obviously, they're very good at what they do in basketball at UConn, so, I knew that they were coming today and I got to meet them finally in person after the match...that was the first time I met them in person," Coco Gauff said.

"They were sitting in my box, it was really cool. I think I got some of the good vibes from them to help me back me through. I saw Paige and both of them like standing up getting out their seats so it was great to have that support and you know hopefully I can return the favor at one of their games," she added.

In other news, earlier this year Gauff also gave a shoutout to Paige Bueckers after her attention-grabbing GQ magazine cover shoot.

About the author

Shashank, a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, joined the company about a year and a half ago. Despite his background in software engineering, his passion for the sport drove him to switch gears and dive into full-time journalism before which he worked as a tech writer.

With over 1000 articles and nearly 4 million views under his belt at SK, his stories stand out thanks to his deep dives into match stats, player tactics, and historical patterns, offering readers a fresh take every time. Above all, he is meticulous, making sure to double-check information from reliable sources before sharing it.

In Shashank's view, there's no room for debate: Novak Djokovic reigns supreme as the ultimate GOAT. He draws inspiration from the Serb's resilience, hard work, and relentless attitude, channeling those qualities into his own work.

Outside of his tennis musings, he finds joy in hitting the court himself, exploring new destinations during his travels, and watching movies.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua