Background and career
Azzi Jazlyn Fudd ( AY-zee; born November 11, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. Nicknamed "the People's Princess", Fudd attended St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., where she was the first sophomore to win Gatorade National Player of the Year. Ranked the number one recruit in her class by ESPN, she committed to UConn, whom she helped reach the national title game as a freshman in 2022. Fudd missed most of her sophomore and junior seasons with knee injuries. As a redshirt junior in 2025, she won the national championship and was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. She earned first-team All-American honors in her senior season. Fudd was selected as the first overall pick of the 2026 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings. She has won three gold medals with the United States at the youth international level, including at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup and the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.
In 2019, Fudd was named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year after putting up averages of 26.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, becoming the first sophomore ever to win the award. She led her team to a 35–1 record and captured the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) tournament title. Prior to her sophomore year, Fudd became one of the first girls ever to attend the SC30 Select Camp, an elite offseason training camp run by two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, and won the camp's three-point shooting competition. Shortly after that season, while playing in the final of the U.S. under-18 3x3 championships, held to determine the country's representatives to that year's FIBA U18 3x3 World Cup, she tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee. Because of the nature of her injury, her knee reconstruction required two separate surgeries. While still undergoing rehabilitation, Fudd attended Curry's camp again. Her doctor allowed her to compete in the camp's three-point contest again, but only if she could walk between the spots. Nonetheless, Fudd again won the contest. Fudd returned to the St. John's team in January 2020, averaging 19.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists for St. John's while still recovering from her injury before her season was prematurely halted by COVID-19. St. John's did not play an official schedule in 2020–21 for the same reason; the team played some unofficial exhibitions as the D.C. Cadets, with Fudd, who was the student body vice-president at the time, personally lobbying the school's principal for this arrangement. Fudd averaged 25.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.2 steals during an abbreviated senior season.
Fudd was a five-star recruit and was ranked number one in the class of 2021 by ESPN. She received her first scholarship offer in sixth grade from Maryland. On November 11, 2020, Fudd announced her commitment to UConn. She chose the Huskies over offers from Maryland, UCLA, Louisville, Oregon, Kentucky, Texas, and Notre Dame. She became the 12th number-one recruit to sign with UConn since 1998 and joined former number-one recruit Paige Bueckers.
Fudd was selected Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year. On November 21, 2021, Fudd made her collegiate debut for UConn, scoring seven points, and three rebounds in a 95–80 win over Arkansas. After playing in the first four games of the season, she missed 11 games due to a foot injury. On February 6, 2022, in Fudd's first collegiate start against rival Tennessee, she finished with a career high 25 points, along with four rebounds, and four assists. The following game, Fudd finished with a season high 29 points against Villanova in a 72–69 loss. During the Elite Eight, Fudd helped UConn in a 91-87 double-overtime victory over NC State scoring 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists, while playing a team high 49 minutes. She and Christyn Williams were named Bridgeport All-Region Team for their performances. She finished her freshmen year averaging 12.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
Fudd made her season debut on November 10, 2022, recording 26 points and 4 assists in a 98–39 win against Northeastern. On November 14, Fudd scored a career high 32 points and four assists in an 83–76 win against number three ranked Texas. The 56 points scored by Fudd set a record for the most points ever scored by a UConn player in the first two games of the season, beating the previous record held by Diana Taurasi. The 32 points scored against Texas tied a record held by Taurasi for the most points scored by a UConn player against a top-five opponent. On December 4, against rival Notre Dame, Fudd suffered a right knee injury after a teammate fell on her knee. Fudd was expected to miss three to six weeks. On January 11, 2023, Fudd returned for the Huskies against St. John's after missing the previous eight games. She came off the bench, scored 15 points, and only played 20 minutes due to minutes restrictions. Fudd missed more time after re-injuring her right knee against Georgetown, one game after she had returned from a 5-week absence from the initial injury. During Fudd's absence, UConn lost two consecutive games for the first time since March 1993 and suffered multiple losses to unranked conference opponents for the first time since 2003–04. After missing 14 games, Fudd made her return in the Huskies' 69–39 Big East tournament quarterfinal win over Georgetown, scoring 10 points in 17 minutes. Despite Fudd's return, the Huskies fell short to Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen. Fudd finished her sophomore season averaging 15.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Fudd made her season debut on November 8, 2023, notching 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in a 102–58 win against Dayton. On November 22, 2023, it was announced that Fudd had torn her right ACL and meniscus while practicing, ending her season.
