Is Azzi Fudd playing tonight? Exploring UConn star's availability vs Iowa State (Dec 17)
Azzi Fudd is unlikely to play in tonight's contest against the Iowa State Cyclones. She is currently nursing a sprained knee which has kept her out since Dec. 7. The confirmation of her not taking part in the contest will be known before the 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off.
Fudd is one year removed from a torn ACL that kept her out for most of the 2023-24 season. She is currently progressing through her fifth year of playing college basketball.
Azzi Fudd has been effective in small sample of games this season
Despite the small number of games she has played in this season for No. 4 UConn, Azzi Fudd has made the most of her chances whenever she's on the court.
In five games, she is averaging 10 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 50% shooting from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. She was having a strong performance with 18 points and four rebounds against Louisville on Dec. 7 before suffering the injury.
"It's just very frustrating because she's just coming back, she's been looking great the past couple of games. It's much better that it's a minor setback and I know she's gonna stay hungry, stay in the weight room and continue to do everything that she can to get back on the court as soon as possible," Paige Bueckers said on Fudd's injury issues.
Despite her absence, No. 4 UConn sits with a 9-1 record with their only loss being against No. 3 Notre Dame on Dec. 12. They average 79 points on 51% shooting from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc. On defense, they hold opponents to 51.9 points on 35% shooting overall and 32.5% from downtown.
Star captain Paige Bueckers leads the way with 20 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Sarah Strong follows suit with 16.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest while Kaitlyn Chen provides seven points and 3.9 assists.
After this game, Azzi Fudd will hope to be available for No. 4 UConn's next contest against No. 7 USC at the XL Center on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.