UConn star Azzi Fudd was named the 2025 Final Four Most Outstanding Player on Sunday after leading the Huskies to a dominant 82-59 win over South Carolina in the national championship game.
Fudd was locked in right from the start, and her 13-point first half was key in getting the Huskies out to an early lead they never relinquished. She also made some big plays on the defensive end that led to easy baskets and finished with 24 points, five rebounds and three steals.
Over the two games in the Final Four, Fudd scored 43 points on 16 of 29 (55.2%) shooting and swiped six steals.
The title and the MOP award was the culmination of a long four years for Fudd, who has battled numerous injuries since arriving in Storrs in 2021 as the No. 1 overall recruit. She was limited to just 42 games in her first three seasons and missed nearly all of the 2023-24 campaign with a torn ACL.
Upon her return this season, Fudd was inconsistent and battled through another minor knee sprain that kept her sidelined for two weeks in December. Even throughout the tournament it was unclear what the Huskies were going to get from Fudd from game to game. She was awesome in the first two rounds, then scored 18 points on 27 shots in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight combined.
But when they needed her the most, Fudd delivered. Her 19 points in the first half against UCLA in the Final Four set the tone for that game, as did her 13 points in the first half against South Carolina. When Fudd was hitting shots, the Huskies were unbeatable this season, and they showed as much over the last three days by beating two of the best teams in the country by 34 and 23 points.
Fudd is a senior, but has an extra year of eligibility since she took a medical redshirt last season, and has already announced she will return to school. That’s great news for the Huskies, who will hope to become the first team since themselves from 2013-16 to repeat as champions.