UConn women’s basketball star Azzi Fudd signs NIL deal with Jordan Brand entering March Madness
As Azzi Fudd prepares to lead the UConn women’s basketball team into March Madness, the Huskies’ star is also making major moves off the court.
Jordan Brand announced Friday that it signed Fudd to its star-studded NIL roster, which includes UConn teammate Sarah Strong. Jordan also sponsors Huskies legends Napheesa Collier and Maya Moore as well as Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams and Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse.
“I grew up watching what the ‘Jumpman’ meant to basketball and to the culture around the game, so becoming part of the Jordan Brand family represents what I am stepping into and the greatness that I aspire to be,” Fudd said in a press release. “To wear the same logo that so many legends have worn is something I don’t take lightly. For me, it’s about honoring that legacy while also helping show what the next generation of women’s basketball looks like.”
Fudd has a long-standing relationship with NBA superstar Stephen Curry and was the first college athlete to sign an NIL deal with Curry’s SC30 brand in 2021. Though she helped design a colorway of Curry’s signature shoe in 2022, she never penned a deal with Under Armour while the shoe company was partnered with the two-time MVP. Curry parted ways with Under Armour in November 2025 and is currently without a shoe sponsor.
After earning Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four during the Huskies’ 2025 NCAA Championship, Fudd is having the best year of her college career in her fifth and final season. She is averaging 17.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals, all career highs, while shooting 49% from the field, 45.1% from 3-point range and 95% at the free throw line. Fudd is second in the country in made 3-pointers with 96, and ninth in 3-point percentage, and her percentage is the highest of any player with at least 80 makes from the perimeter. On top of her offensive production, Fudd ranks fourth nationally in defensive win shares and 10th in defensive rating.
Fudd was unanimously named to the All-Big East first team on Thursday, and she is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award given to the nation’s best shooting guard. The UConn star also made the midseason short lists for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award, and she is a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award. Fudd is universally projected as a lottery pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Fudd and the Huskies begin their postseason Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, where they will face the winner of Friday’s first-round game between 8-seed Georgetown and 9-seed Butler at noon.
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