UConn’s Paige Bueckers once shared details about her bond with teammate Azzi Fudd: “I always confided in her”

The UConn Huskies’ Paige Bueckers is close to all of her teammates but she is particularly close to Azzi Fudd. They have been friends for years, helping each other through their various injury setbacks.

In an interview with WSLAM in 2021, the two discussed a previous injury sustained by Fudd. Azzi said that Bueckers helped her heal by constantly checking up on her.

Bueckers then opened up about her close bond with her teammate.

“I always confided in her. I used to keep everything to myself. I used to go through all the hard times in my life by myself. So, just being able to open up to her and being that person she can open up to as well was really important for me,” said Bueckers. (Starting at 3:32)

Azzi Fudd once gave a peek into her friendship with Paige Bueckers

The UConn teammates have been each other’s support systems for years now. They met five years ago during a USA basketball camp and competed against each other for the position of shooting guard.

A fun clip from “Overtime” four years ago gave a sneak peek into Bueckers and Fudd’s friendship.

"Even though Paige is my best friend, she is one of the most annoying people ever," Fudd said. "She's like a thousand siblings. Our friendship is very up and down, we fight a lot. With Paige, everything turns into a competition, it can be absolutely anything.”

"I know how to get under her skin, talk a little trash. Off the court, we joke a lot," Bueckers replied.

In the same video, Fudd admitted that she may have underestimated Bueckers when the two competed for the same position during the camp. But the two eventually formed a special bond that ended with Bueckers convincing Fudd to join the UConn Huskies.

Bueckers will return in 2024 to play her fifth season for the Huskies alongside Fudd.