Another week of women’s college basketball action, another round of storylines and questions. South Carolina remains No. 1 in the AP Top 25, with Stanford, Ohio State, Indiana and Notre Dame following. As for the rest of the field, UConn may or may not be without Azzi Fudd, UCLA looks primed and ready for Pac-12 play, and Iowa may need more than Caitlin Clark to get to the Final Four.
Let’s get into all of that and more.
1. How will Azzi Fudd’s potential absence impact UConn?
Fudd suffered a knee injury late in the first quarter Sunday against Notre Dame, and she sat out the entire second half. Her absence against the Irish was evident, as UConn struggled to find its offensive rhythm. Fudd was averaging 20.6 points per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from 3 and 92.3 percent from the free-throw line. She led the Huskies in scoring, usage percentage and points per play. She was also the clear leader on the floor and hit key shots in big moments.
UConn has plenty of players who can step up. Aaliyah Edwards, Dorka Juhasz, Aubrey Griffin and Lou Lopez Senechal are averaging double digits. Still, the Huskies are going to need more from junior Nika Mühl (5.4 ppg) and Caroline Ducharme (5.5 ppg) to remain competitive, potentially without Fudd.
