2021 No. 1 recruit Azzi Fudd commits to UConn

Azzi Fudd is coming to UConn.

On her 18th birthday, Fudd, the No. 1 player in the class of 2021, announced her commitment to the Huskies, putting an end to one of the most closely-followed recruiting battles in recent memories. Fudd chose UConn over UCLA in large part so her parents could come to games more frequently, per ESPN.

“I have a feeling we have muliple national championships in our future,” she said on Live.

She announced her decision on ESPN’s Instagram Live, revealing a UConn t-shirt under her jacket while her dog, named Stewie, also wore a UConn shirt.

Paige Bueckers, Fudd’s best friend and now future teammate, celebrated the news on Instagram.

Listed at 5-foot-11 out of Arlington, Virginia, Fudd is regarded as one of the best prospects in recent memory. While Bueckers was considered the best high school player since A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart, Fudd is supposedly just as good if not better — depending on who you ask. ESPN described her as hybrid of Kara Lawson and Katie Smith:

Fundamentally, she has no holes in her game. As a three-level scorer, she is a tough matchup for anyone. She is a knock-down 3-point shooter (remember the viral video of her making 268 3s in an 18-minute workout?), has had a money pull-up jumper since middle school and can finish at the rim with contact among the best of them. She has a naturally strong frame that lends to efficient rebounding and helps her be a gritty defender...Fudd has a poise and maturity that allows her to be a big-time shot maker.

Fudd also earned high praise from Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry.

“She can be going full speed, and stop on a dime and have, like, a feathery release,” he told ESPN. “I think she has more of a textbook jumper than anyone I’ve seen. Maybe Klay Thompson and Azzi Fudd....You go Ray Allen, Klay Thompson, and Azzi Fudd, textbook. You would teach somebody how to shoot with their form.”

Fudd won the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2019 and the DC Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018. She’s also claimed gold medals with the US Youth National Team at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup.

In April 2019, Fudd tore her ACL and MCL, which forced her to miss her entire junior season at the high school level. She’s back on the court now and even played in a few games over the summer with her AAU team, GTS Fusion, despite the pandemic.

Fudd comes from a basketball family. Her dad, Tim, starred at American University and played professionally overseas while her mom, Katie, played at NC State and Georgetown and was a fourth-round pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft but never played due to injuries. They named Azzi after basketball star Jennifer Azzi, an Olympic gold medalist and member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

When Fudd joins the Huskies ahead of the 2021-22 season, she will be the third top prospect on the team, joining Bueckers and Christyn Williams. Since 2010, UConn has landed the No. 1 recruit six times — including Fudd.

She’ll join a stacked roster in 2021-22 that — barring any transfers or early departures to the WNBA — will bring back every player from the year before while adding a recruiting class that was already ranked No. 3 in the nation by ESPN prior to Fudd’s commitment.