“You haven’t done media in 2 years”: Paige Bueckers roasts Azzi Fudd’s come back from injury
After one year on the sidelines, Azzi Fudd finally made her return to the court against Farleigh Dickinson on Nov. 20. Slowly finding her rhythm, she has begun making an impact on the box score. Azzi Fudd had her highest score against Ole Miss in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship on Wednesday, finishing with 18 points and four rebounds.
Off the court, Fudd is also adjusting to her media responsibilities. During Wednesday’s post-game press conference, Fudd and Paige Bueckers jokingly argued over who would take a question.
“You’re so good tho. Please go,” Fudd said.
“You haven’t done media in 2 years,” Bueckers replied.
Apart from this light moment, Bueckers also took time to praise her teammate, saying:
“She played a lot more, she looked like her aggressive self. Even the games we have played, I feel like we both weren’t 100%, and so we’re getting there, and we don’t want to take it for granted and think that this is just what it is.
“We want to enjoy every moment playing together and just enjoy playing with the team. This is a really fun group, I love this group.”
Azzi Fudd comments on her return to court
Azzi Fudd made her first 3-pointer of the season on Monday against Oregon State. Her previous shot from this range was against NC State on Nov. 12, 2023. In an interview with Hartford Courant’s Emily Adams on Wednesday, the guard shared that she felt immense relief after this shot.
“I was like, finally,” Fudd said. “It felt amazing, but I was like, come on. It couldn’t have been the first one or the second one or the third one or the fourth one, but no, it was like the 25th one. But it felt amazing just it see it go in.
It was a great feeling.”
Azzi Fudd spent the last season in hospital and rehab centers, recovering from her ACL tear. While she has returned, she is still cautious about her physical health.
“My body feels really great,” she said. “I didn’t feel bad by any means after the first game, but I felt even better waking up this morning. I thought, since I played more minutes, I might be a little more sore.
“I don’t know if it’s the Bahamas weather, who knows, but I felt great this morning, I felt great today (at practice). So I’m really excited about how things are going.”
With her return and Paige Bueckers’ hunger to win a championship before she leaves for the WNBA, the UConn Huskies could be an unstoppable force this season.
