UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong were named to the Wooden Award’s 25-player midseason watchlist, the program announced Wednesday.
Fudd is having the best season of her career in nearly every statistical category, averaging 17.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game. The redshirt senior guard is shooting 49.3% from the field and ranks seventh nationally in 3-point percentage at 48.5% while also hitting 100% at the free throw line. Fudd also ranks third in the country in 3-pointers made and fifth in 3-pointers per game. Against top 25 opponents, Fudd is averaging 23.8 points per game.
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Strong currently leads the Huskies in every major stat except for assists, averaging 18 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.6 blocks. The sophomore forward is shooting 58.4% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. She also leads the nation in defensive rating and is averaging a double-double against ranked opponents this season.
The Wooden Award has been given in women’s basketball every year since 2004. Only three UConn players have earned the honor: Maya Moore in 2009 and ’11, Breanna Stewart in 2015 and ’16 and Paige Bueckers in 2021. USC’s JuJu Watkins, who is out for the season with an ACL tear, earned the honor in 2024-25, and Bueckers was a finalist.
Jana El Alfy out for UConn vs. St. John’s
The Huskies will be down at least three players for Wednesday night’s game against St. John’s after redshirt sophomore center Jana El Alfy was ruled out with a concussion. Coach Geno Auriemma said Tuesday on his radio show that El Alfy was hit in the head with a pass during practice.
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El Alfy is averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game so far this season but has been on a hot streak recently with back-to-back games scoring in double digits.
Redshirt sophomore forward Ayanna Patterson, who missed the last two games with a concussion, was listed as questionable Wednesday but went through the team’s pregame warmups. Sophomore guard Morgan Cheli (ankle) and redshirt junior forward Ice Brady (knee) remain out with long-term injuries.
