WNBA legend Sue Bird gives concerning POV on Azzi Fudd's injury

Sue Bird knows a college star when she sees one. This past Saturday, she had her eyes on UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd. Bird was firsthand to see an unpleasant development for Fudd and the Huskies.

On the Dec. 11th episode of her podcast "A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe," the four-time WNBA champion gave an eyewitness account of the knee injury sustained by Fudd during the UConn-Louisville game.

"At one point, she got bumped," said Bird (24:50 onwards) as she recounted what she saw at the Women's Champions Classic in Brooklyn. "I saw the play happen. She kind of either got a little bumped on her knee or just stepped funny."

"What I saw was her drop to the floor, not dramatically but just kind of go down. And then there was a little bit of fear in her eyes," Bird added.

Azi Fudd has a history of serious injuries; Sue Bird impressed nevertheless

The look of concern on Fudd's face is understandable, given the major injuries that she's had to deal with in her playing career.

Knee problems have particularly been bothersome for the Northern Virginia native. In April 2019, while playing at USA Basketball's U18 3x3 tournament, Fudd suffered a torn ACL and MCL.

Since joining UConn, the former No. 1 overall recruit has played just 47 games; she played just two games last season after tearing her ACL again during a practice session.

Still, Bird liked the version of Fudd that she saw on the floor against Louisville.

"She looked great," said Bird, who won two national titles with the Huskies in the early 2000s.

Fudd's numbers show that she's been on an upward trend. Leading up to the Women's Champions Classic, she'd been averaging 14.3 points on 63% shooting from the field in her last three games. Fudd has been shooting 37.5% from distance—an indication that she's starting to flesh out her potential.

It's been barely a month since she returned from her last ACL tear, and as such, she has been ruled out for the rest of the week.