After their lone home game versus Xavier, where they took the dub by 54 points, the No. 7 UConn Women’s Basketball team (14-2, 5-0), is set to head to the nation’s capital to take on the Georgetown Hoyas Saturday afternoon for the second time this season.
On Wednesday night, Connecticut had to play for the first time since the 2022-23 season without guard Paige Bueckers, after she suffered a lower body sprain against Villanova on Jan. 5.
However, the Huskies played like any other game, without a hitch.
This includes Virginia native, Azzi Fudd, who racked up a season-high of 23 points and three steals.
“I played with more confidence than I’ve been playing with. I think partially that’s confidence in myself and my playing abilities, but confidence in my knee.” Fudd said to the media after the win.
This matchup will be a homecoming for Fudd as she is from Arlington, V.A. and her mother, Katie, played for the Hoyas from 1998-2001, averaging 18.6 points per game as the star guard, per CT Insider.
Despite Fudd having been to Georgetown a few times as a Husky, this will be the first game she will play in.
“I’m super excited to get to play with all my family and friends in the crowd.” Fudd said to media personnel on Wednesday night. “I played on that court, actually for my high school state championship game. So, it’s kind of just like a cool little flashback moment, full circle moment.”
This will be the second time these two Big East foes have faced off against each other in their 2024-25 campaigns.
On Dec. 15, the Huskies secured the win 79-44 at the XL Center. Bueckers and freshman Sarah Strong led their program with 24 and 17 points, respectively in their Big East season opener.
After the unfortunate passing of head coach Tasha Butts in October of 2023, Darnell Haney began his first season as head coach this year.
Haney’s program is led by graduate guard Kelsey Ransom who averages 20.6 points per game and has been shooting 45% from the field. In their last meeting, Connecticut kept the New Jersey native to a points total of seven.
The key to winning Saturday’s matchup for the Huskies, without Bueckers again, is maintaining consistent confidence in their defense, especially with frontcourt players, Strong, Ice Brady and Jana El Alfy, as the Hoyas only have three players above six feet.
Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. Husky fans can tune into this Big East matchup on SNY and the UConn Sports Network.