A lot has changed for Azzi Fudd in the last year.

Entering the Final Four in 2025, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong soaked up most of the spotlight for UConn, allowing Fudd to sit in the shadows. Occasionally, she’d emerge with a big performance — 34 points against St. John’s, 28 points at South Carolina, 27 points against Arkansas State — only to slide into background once more. Fudd struggled through regionals, averaging just 9.0 points while shooting 7-27 from the field.

Then came the Final Four. In one weekend, Fudd shrugged off all that had plagued her throughout her career — injuries, inconsistency, overthinking — with 19 points against UCLA and another 24 in the title game against South Carolina to earn Most Outstanding Player honors.

She hasn’t looked back. Now Fudd is the one in the spotlight as she leads an undefeated UConn team to Phoenix alongside Strong. She’s racked up AP, WBCA, USBWA and Naismith First Team All-American honors, then made the finalist lists for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award.

The 2025-26 campaign has been the best of Fudd’s career by a wide margin. Not only has she averaged 17.5 points on a .489/.455/.955 shooting split, she’s also put up a career-high 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals.

“We didn't really see much of that Azzi until that tournament stretch (last season),” Ashlynn Shade said. “Now she's been doing it consistently all year.”

In order for Fudd to make good on her potential as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2021, she needed to step outside her comfort zone.

“Her personality is such that she likes being in the background to somebody else —whoever that may be, whatever that may be,” Geno Auriemma said in June. “She likes when there's a lot of other good players on the team. She likes being in the background.”

But with Bueckers off to the WNBA, Fudd no longer had a choice. She was the only candidate to step up as UConn’s lead guard.

“It's definitely not in her natural instincts to be that person,” Caroline Ducharme said. “But I think she realizes that's what we need right now.”