Universtiy of Connecticut basketball star guard Azzi Fudd returned to game action Saturday in the Big East tournament after missing 14 games with a right knee injury. Here’s what you need to know:
- The sophomore reinjured the knee in mid-January after previously missing eight games this season.
- She scored 10 points, adding two rebounds and four assists, in the Huskies’ conference tournament-opening 69-39 win over Georgetown. Entering Saturday, Fudd was averaging 17.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 53.4 percent shooting in just nine games this year.
- UConn is 27-5 overall this season and 18-2 in conference play. The Huskies were ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How big is Fudd’s return for UConn?
It can’t be understated. At a bare minimum, she’s another body for this team that has been playing its starters, on average, 34 minutes a game. But Fudd isn’t a “bare minimum” player. Her return means major contributions on both ends of the floor, even in restricted minutes. Offensively, she’s a three-level scoring threat, but her 3-point shooting gives coach Geno Auriemma another long-range weapon on the floor that will space out defensively.
Pairing Fudd with Lou Lopez Sénéchal — both are 43 percent shooters from…
