The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies have looked nearly untouchable all season, rolling past their opponents with the kind of confidence that usually leaves little room for doubt. But even in a 58-point blowout win, head coach Geno Auriemma has found himself sounding unusually concerned about one of his biggest stars – Azzi Fudd.
As the Huskies entered their latest game against the Xavier Musketeers with just 9 players, no one was worried about the team’s depth. Fans already believed that even after being short on the bench, players like Azzi Fudd would hold down the fort. But what was supposed to be a routine win for them became a rare off-night for Fudd. Yes, the very senior guard who has dominated all season long.
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So speaking to the media during the post-game interview, coach Auriemma didn’t sugarcoat what he saw.
“That was a really, really difficult night for Azzi. I don’t know that she’s 100% all there right now. I think we’ve had guys just, you know, stuff runs through your team, you know, throughout the season. She didn’t look like she was all there,” he said.
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The Huskies coach further added, “But her presence on the floor is worth a lot, because the other team doesn’t know that she’s going to miss the next seven. They just think we got a guard, and our team doesn’t think she’s going to miss the next seven. So it’ll be something that just happens. But you’ve got to play the game too. You’ve got to get involved and do the other things. ”
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In the game, Fudd finished with just six points in what was easily one of her worst performances of the 2025-26 NCAA season, going 2-of-12 from the field, 1-of-7 from three, and 1-of-2 at the free-throw line. Moreover, as per reports, that lone miss at the stripe was significant as it marked her first missed free throw of the year, ending a program-record streak of 40 consecutive makes.
But in the end, even while Azzi Fudd battled through her rough shooting night, UConn found plenty of offense elsewhere as they added another win in their bag.
UConn Huskies v/s Xavier Musketeers: Game overview
Even without Azzi Fudd performing like usual, Wednesday night turned into yet another reminder of just how overwhelming UConn can be, even when they’re far from full strength.
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After a slightly sluggish start where Xavier managed to get an early lead (15-12), UConn quickly flipped the switch. The Huskies found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring the Musketeers 21–7 to take a comfortable lead into halftime.
The biggest storyline of this game was sophomore Allie Ziebell, who delivered the best performance of her career. She erupted for 34 points and knocked down 10 three-pointers to become the player to score most-point off the bench in UConn history.
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“The number isn’t as impressive to me as watching her just play with so much confidence,” Auriemma said. “That’s the Allie I saw play in high school, that’s the Allie I saw play every summer, that’s the kid we recruited and why we recruited her.”
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On the other hand, Sarah Strong continued to show why she is leading the Huskies on the stats sheet by dropping 25 points. While Ashlynn Shade stuffed the scoreboard with another 12 points, six assists, and a career-high eight steals.
Even with one of their biggest stars misfiring, the Huskies proved once again that their dominance runs far deeper than any single player.
For their next game, they will play against one of the toughest teams in the league, the No. 15-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers, on February 1st.
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