Paige Bueckers made her return to UConn and was courtside as the Huskies kicked off their 2025–26 season against the Louisville Cardinals at Navy Alumni Hall. Cheering on her former teammate and girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, Bueckers garnered a ton of attention from the excited crowd.
The connection between Bueckers and Fudd started during their years together at UConn, where they teamed up to win the school’s 12th NCAA championship before Bueckers entered the WNBA. They publicly confirmed their relationship in July 2025.
UConn Fans Go Crazy for the Return of Legend Paige Bueckers
Before UConn took to the court to dominate the Cardinals 79-66, all eyes were on the Huskie legend, as Bueckers made her long-awaited return to cheer on her former team and girlfriend.
Paige Bueckers supporting her former teammates at the Armed Forces Classic 🙌
Watch No. 20 Louisville-No. 1 UConn on ESPN and the ESPN App 👀 pic.twitter.com/5NeDl92bB2
— ESPN (@espn) November 4, 2025
Fudd, likely looking to impress her very important onlooker, led UConn with 20 points, keeping their perfect record in season openers intact. The Huskies quickly built an early lead on Louisville, starting up 8-0 and extending the margin throughout the first half.
Louisville’s Laura Ziegler had 16 points and 18 rebounds, and the Cardinals cut into the lead late, but UConn stayed in control and secured the win. The Huskies showed their depth with double-figure scorers from last season stepping up, along with key contributions from newcomers Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel.
As excellent as they looked, fans spent a good amount of their time praising Bueckers for showing her support.
“Love seeing Paige support her former teammates! That’s the real MVP energy. Enjoy the classic matchup!” wrote one fan.
“That’s the kind of energy money can’t buy,” added another.
Support like Paige’s demonstrates the bond between teammates lasts forever.
— Yaz Hamad (@hamad_yaz) November 5, 2025
“Support like Paige’s demonstrates the bond between teammates lasts forever,” tweeted another.
Love to see that! 🙌 True loyalty never fades—Paige cheering on her old squad is everything 💙🔥
— Emma Ezeaka (@emmaezeaka001) November 4, 2025
Despite an entire season in the WNBA and away from her former team, UConn fans have clearly not forgotten the impact that Bueckers had on their squad.
Recapping Bueckers’ College Basketball Impact
Bueckers arrived at UConn and quickly became one of the most celebrated figures in college basketball. She ranks third in career points for the Huskies (2,439) and stands alone at the top for scoring average, putting up 19.9 points per game across her tenure. Her performance in NCAA tournaments has set her apart, with a program-record 477 total points in postseason play and a remarkable 40-point game against Oklahoma during the Sweet Sixteen, the highest in UConn history for a single tournament game.
During the 2025 tournament, Bueckers joined Fudd and Sarah Strong on the All-Tournament team, while Fudd took home Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four. In the championship game, Bueckers contributed 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Fudd and Strong led the scoring with 24 points each, powering the Huskies to an 82–59 win over South Carolina. The defensive effort was just as effective, holding every South Carolina player to 10 points or fewer.
For the past five years, Bueckers and UConn have been inseparable in fans’ minds. She led her team to its 12th national title, ending a nine-year stretch without a championship. Her journey has been filled with adversity, overcoming a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear in her sophomore year and later a torn ACL that kept her off the court for the entire 2022–23 season. Bueckers returned the next year, and she’s now considered one of the greats in program history.