UConn’s Azzi Fudd is a decorated basketball star. She just won a major award in the classroom, too

As Azzi Fudd continues to dominate on the court in her final collegiate season, the UConn women’s basketball star is also making an impact in the classroom and in her community.

Fudd was named the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Monday, becoming the ninth UConn player to receive the honor. She joins Leigh Curl (1984-85), Wendy Davis (1991-92), Rebecca Lobo (1993-95), Jennifer Rizzotti (1995-96), Maya Moore (2009-11) and Paige Bueckers (2023-24). Fudd will receive a $2,000 scholarship towards graduate or professional studies as part of the award.

Fudd is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business administration after graduating with her bachelor’s in communication in May 2024. The star guard is maintaining a 3.57 cumulative grade-point average, and she has been selected to the Big East All-Academic Team member four times in her career. She made the Director of Athletics’ Honor Roll in eight semesters at UConn.

Fudd is also involved in extensive volunteer work outside of basketball. She hosted the ninth annual Azzi Fudd Basketball Camp this summer and honored late friend of the program Abby Zittoun by donating proceeds to the AZ Family Foundation. In May 2024 and 2025 she volunteered at Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which provides summer camp programs free of charge to children with serious illnesses and their families throughout the Northeast. Fudd is also an active participant in the annual Geno For the Kids Charity Dinner and the For the Kids Charity Golf Tournament, where she is responsible for coordinating the involvement of teammates while spending time with patients of Connecticut Children’s Hospital and their families. Outside of the events, Fudd often takes time to connect with patients virtually through social media, texts, video messages and participates in the hospital’s social media-based fundraising campaigns.

On the court, Fudd is having the best season of her college career. She is averaging 17.9 points, three assists and 2.5 steals, all of which are career highs, and she helped anchor the Huskies to their first undefeated regular season since 2018. The star guard is flirting with historic efficiency, currently shooting 49 percent from the field, 45.1 percent from 3-point range and 95 percent at the free throw line. She is second in the country in made 3-pointers with 96 and ninth in 3-point percentage. Her percentage is the highest of any player with at least 80 makes from the perimeter, and she is the only player with at least 90 makes to rank top 20 in 3-point percentage.

On top of her offensive production, Fudd ranks fourth nationally in defensive win shares and 10th in defensive rating. The redshirt senior made the midseason watchlists for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award, and she is in the top 10 for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award given to the nation’s best shooting guard. Fudd is also a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award.

Fudd and the No. 1 Huskies kick off the 2026 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.

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