If anyone understands what Azzi Fudd is going through this season, it is Paige Bueckers. As one of the most senior members of the UConn roster, Fudd is expected to step up and take on a more vocal leadership role if they are to repeat last year’s success.
Bueckers, who attended her alma mater’s 2025-26 season opener against Louisville on Tuesday, Nov. 4, had some advice to offer to her former teammate. She also shared her opinion on this year’s team, specifically KK Arnold.
What Advice Did Paige Bueckers Give to Azzi Fudd About Handling Spotlight?
Fudd hasn’t had the smoothest college career at UConn. She battled multiple injuries, including a critical ACL and medial meniscus tear on the right knee. Despite the setbacks, she is a strong contender for Player of the Year and is predicted to be a top pick in the 2026 Draft.
In short, all eyes are on her, and Bueckers knows a thing or two about that.
Bueckers, who has battled her own share of injuries and expectations at UConn, opened up on how Fudd could navigate the immense attention for the next few months, just like she herself did last year.
Speaking to ESPN at the UConn vs. Louisville game, Bueckers said, “Just focus on what matters. Focus on the team, focus on the present. That’s the mindset we had the entire last year–what I had embodied, what she’s learning to embody.”
“There are a lot of outside noises, outside expectations, lots of pressure. But if you focus on where you are at the moment, all of that is just noise.”
Her comments came just days after Fudd revealed that Geno Auriemma’s advice played a key role in her decision to stay at UConn.
The Huskies’ head coach told her that leaving now would do her and any WNBA team a “disservice,” urging her to deliver her full potential in collegiate basketball for a full season.
Paige Bueckers’ Opinion on KK Arnold, Huskies Team
Beyond Fudd’s final year ceiling, Bueckers sounded confident about UConn’s overall outlook.
“It’s their depth that allows them to play really fast,” Bueckers said. “I think it’s the depth–the different versatile lineups that we can have on our floor.”
At the time of the interview, UConn led Louisville 25-9, which earned praise from the Dallas Wings star.
She was also impressed by KK Arnold, whose “passion and intensity” were the key drivers behind her newfound ownership of the team, Bueckers said.
“She has learned from me, she has learned from Nika (Muhl), she has learned from Kaitlyn Chen.”
Now that it was Arnold’s time to “run the team,” Bueckers thought she was doing an excellent job.