When $18 million worth Geno Auriemma gave Azzi Fudd her flowers after 32-point game: “That was an All-American performance today”

Geno Auriemma's UConn women's basketball has a new leader, Azzi Fudd. Fudd showed her leadership qualities in 2022, when she had 32 points against third-ranked Texas in what Auriemma described as a "Player of the Year performance."

After the Huskies' 83-76 win over the Longhorns, Auriemma's comment was shared on SNY's YouTube channel on Nov. 14, 2022.

Asked about what he learned about his team, Auriemma, who has an estimated net worth of $18 million per Celebrity Net Worth, singled out Fudd as the player who got the win for the Huskies.

"You know, when two really good teams play against each other, it usually comes down to one team has one guy that just takes over the game and wins it for them," Auriemma said (Timestamp: 1:16). "And that's what Azzi did for us. Obviously, she didn't do it single-handedly by herself. She had a lot of help.

"But you know, that's, going forward, that's the kind of performance you need from you know, that was an All-American performance today. That's like player of the year performance tonight."

Auriemma also admitted that he did not know if the team could count on Fudd's performance every single night. But they would try to fix some things going forward.

However, Fudd's season was cut short due to an ACL injury in December. UConn finished the regular season with a 22–5 record, including going 16–1 in the Big East in the regular season championship.

Geno Auriemma warns opponents about Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong ahead of new season

With Paige Bueckers moving to the WNBA, Geno Auriemma's UConn is set to rely on the leadership of Azzi Fudd to help the Huskies to another outstanding season. Fudd and incoming sophomore Sarah Strong are expected to lead the team to defend their national championship title.

On Monday, Auriemma told reporters that Fudd and Strong are ready for the 2025-26 season, during his golf tournament.

“I gotta tell ya, I’ve never seen Azzi this aggressive, this engaged in wanting to do a lot,” Auriemma said. “That’s probably stood out more than anything. Remember the way Sarah was in that last game, she’s way better. So those two things really stood out these last two weeks.”

The Huskies are regarded as the most successful team in women's college basketball. They defeated South Carolina 82-59 to clinch their 12th national championship title this year.