Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies head into a fierce battle against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina in the NCAA Women’s Tournament Final Four on Friday, with UConn looking to advance to their second-straight championship game.
To get there, they’ll likely need strong contributions from both Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, who have been UConn’s standout players all season. Strong, who recently picked up the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year award, powered the team to its Elite Eight win over Notre Dame with 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals, three blocks, and an assist to fill out her stat sheet.
After Blanca Quiñonez’s 20 points, Fudd was the third-highest UConn scorer, with 13 points, four assists, three steals, and two rebounds, but she also committed five of her team’s turnovers. She’s likely hoping for a better performance against South Carolina, a team known for its rivalry with UConn.
Read more: UConn Announces Big Sarah Strong News Ahead of Final Four
Ahead of the impending clash against Staley’s squad, Auriemma was asked about this being Fudd’s “last hoorah” and what it meant for her. The UConn head coach mentioned that it’s difficult to be a senior with the program and carry the pressure of it being “my last time” after so many other great stars have cut down the nets for the Huskies.
“If we win tomorrow and we win Sunday, Azzi will be crowned as one of the greatest of all-time. If we don’t win tomorrow and we don’t even get a chance to play on Sunday, she’s going to feel like that this was a disappointing year for her,” Auriemma told reporters.
He explained that he encourages senior players, like Fudd, to concentrate on enjoying the present game or situation, without allowing those thoughts of the future or the pressure of legacy to distract them from that.
“Once we got here, by beating Notre Dame, to me, Azzi’s job was done. What happens here, the next game, that’s all just bonus, because getting here is the hard part,” he said.
Should UConn defeat South Carolina in Friday night’s matchup, they’ll earn a spot in the championship game on Sunday against either Texas or UCLA, both of whom have looked tough throughout their tournament runs.
Auriemma also said they would talk about Fudd’s situation on Monday, as that’s when the moment starts to hit the players really hard, whether they go out with a loss or a championship.
Fudd and Strong experienced winning a National Championship last year, with superstar Paige Bueckers as their leader. Following that big moment, Bueckers left to become a WNBA star. Fudd will become a WNBA star in the coming weeks, but first, she’ll look to be the latest Huskies star to lead her team to victory and cut down those nets.
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