UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said there's "a chance" that guard Azzi Fudd could return to the lineup on Saturday night for the No. 4 Huskies' primetime showdown against No. 7 USC. Fudd has been sidelined since Dec. 7 with a minor knee sprain.
Here are Auriemma's full comments on Fudd's status from his press conference on Friday:
"I think the word is ... questionable? Probable? Doubtful? I think the word is doable," Auriemma said. "It can happen. I'm saying there's a chance. In my best Jim Carrey. I'm saying there's a chance. Yeah, yeah. I know she wants to play."
Fudd sprained her knee while trying to fight through a screen during UConn's 33-point win over Louisville in the Women's Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. After briefly staying in the game, and even hitting a 3-pointer, she went to the locker room and did not check back in.
Azzi Fudd is headed to the locker room at the timeout after an apparent injury on this play pic.twitter.com/Rr5oWx3Pxq
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 8, 2024
Auriemma initially described Fudd's status as "day-to-day," but it's no surprise that the program is being cautious considering her injury history. The former No. 1 overall recruit has dealt with extensive knee problems and missed all but two games last season after tearing her ACL.
Fudd has now missed nearly two weeks and three games. Her absence was particularly notable during the Huskies' loss to Notre Dame on Dec. 8, when the team shot 3 of 16 from 3-point range. The Huskies have bounced back with two dominant wins since then, but they'll need Fudd back in the lineup against the Trojans.
While Fudd was a bit rusty upon her return this season, she was starting to heat up prior to this latest knee problem. In her last three games, including the Louisville contest, she averaged 14.3 points on 63% shooting overall, including 37.5% from behind the arc in just 21.3 minutes.
Fudd's versatile scoring takes the Huskies' offense to another level when she's in the lineup. She's a career 38% 3-point shooter, and her spot-up ability makes it much more dangerous for opponents to send extra help to Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong. But Fudd is not just a spot-up shooter. She can attack closeouts with a crafty dribble-drive game and has made 83% of her attempts at the rim this season.
If Fudd does suit up on Saturday, she will likely be on some sort of minutes restriction. Even so, her return would be a big boost for the Huskies in this Elite Eight rematch.
