‘I Was at a Low Point’: Azzi Fudd Remained Close to Paige Bueckers During Tough Times

‘I Was at a Low Point’: Azzi Fudd Remained Close to Paige Bueckers During Tough Times originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

UConn closed out the 2024-25 season with a staggering 37-3 overall record and an unblemished 18-0 mark in Big East play, claiming both the regular-season crown and a fifth straight conference tournament title before charging through the NCAA bracket to defeat South Carolina 82–59 for the program’s 12th national championship.

At the heart of that title run was junior-turned-senior guard Azzi Fudd, whose comeback from a November 2023 ACL tear culminated in a national-championship performance of 24 points and five rebounds, earnings that garnered her Most Outstanding Player honors.

Over 34 games, she averaged 13.6 points on 47.4/43.6/91.7 shooting splits, adding 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.

Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers capped her storied UConn career by leading the Huskies with 19.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game across 38 outings, guiding UConn to that same national championship before declaring for the WNBA draft.

Yet, one of the most compelling storylines from last season emerged on Thursday in an in-depth interview with CT Insider, where Fudd revealed that Bueckers offered her a worn but cherished devotional, inviting her to Athletes in Action gatherings on campus, a student-athlete ministry Fudd had quietly attended since her sophomore year.

Watching Bueckers and fellow teammate Ice Brady carry themselves with visible lightness despite their own injury trials inspired Fudd, who admitted she struggled to "put in that extra work" spiritually until this past winter, when another setback left her at a low point.

"At first, it was like, ‘I want that,’ but I was comparing what I was doing to them, and I was trying to force it too much," Fudd told CT Insider. "When I got hurt again, it was really hard. Not that I hit rock bottom, but I was at a low point."

Raised Catholic and familiar with faith from adolescence, Fudd says she never truly engaged in personal prayer or Bible study until spurred on by Bueckers’ example.

Are Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers in a Relationship?

The pair’s bond extends well beyond the court.

Friendships formed at age 16 competing for the U16 USA Basketball starting-point-guard spot have deepened into a romantic relationship as of 2025.

Fudd has even playfully spotlighted their relationship, most recently via "I Heart PB" T-shirts at a Dallas Wings WNBA game and a viral selfie on her Instagram story featuring a "Paige Bueckers’ Girlfriend" phone case.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.