UConn sophomore Azzi Fudd is expected to miss 3 to six weeks with a close genu injury she suffered successful the archetypal 4th of the Huskies' nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame connected Sunday.
The news, released Tuesday by UConn, felt similar a nightmarish bout of déjà vu to Huskies enthusiasts who person watched UConn get decimated by injuries implicit the past 12 months, and person present witnessed superior genu injuries to Paige Bueckers and Fudd astir a twelvemonth isolated against the aforesaid team. Once again, Bueckers, the 2020-21 nationalist subordinate of the year, and Fudd, whose scoring outbursts against aggregate top-10 teams this play enactment her sanction into the aboriginal speech for the 2022-23 award, volition stock the seat unneurotic conscionable arsenic they did for 11 games past twelvemonth erstwhile some were retired (knee and ft injuries, respectively).
Fudd's prognosis, astatine least, indicates she is expected to instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent this season, portion we won't spot Bueckers (ACL tear) until 2023-24.
The UConn wounded bug has impacted aggregate players: Freshman Ice Brady is out for the season aft suffering a dislocated patella. Graduate pupil Dorka Juhász broke her thumb successful a triumph implicit Texas connected Nov. 14 and has missed the past 5 games.
Fudd -- who suffered a torn close MCL and ACL successful April 2019, and struggled with a ft contented that prevented her from being afloat steadfast arsenic a freshman -- could instrumentality arsenic aboriginal arsenic aboriginal this period oregon arsenic precocious arsenic Jan. 17, depending connected the three- to six-week scale.
ESPN.com's Alexa Philippou, M.A. Voepel and Charlie Creme sermon however Fudd's wounded could interaction the trajectory of the Huskies' play aft their encouraging start, arsenic good arsenic the Big East and nationalist rubric races.
How does Fudd's lack interaction the Huskies? How does the lineup change?
The hoops satellite had conscionable started to spot what Fudd, a perchance generational talent, could be. That amusement isn't implicit for the season, but it'll beryllium stuck connected intermission for the adjacent 3-6 weeks.
UConn's already bladed backcourt conscionable got thinner. The Huskies are down to 4 steadfast guards: Nika Mühl, Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Caroline Ducharme and Inês Bettencourt. Outside of a truly bully burst against Iowa a fewer weeks ago, Ducharme hasn't looked similar herself arsenic she returns from offseason hep country arsenic good arsenic cervix stiffness that sidelined her for the play opener. Bettencourt, meanwhile, has played the fewest minutes of anyone connected the squad and isn't poised to play a immense role.
Now would beryllium the perfect clip for Ducharme to play similar the standout freshman she was past play erstwhile Fudd and Bueckers were hurt. A batch volition autumn connected her and Lopez Sénéchal to beryllium threats from the perimeter, portion Mühl volition apt person to enarthrosis adjacent much work arsenic a shot handler and scorer. UConn besides truly could usage Juhász backmost to astatine slightest marque the frontcourt extent a spot much robust and to adhd different scorer into the fold. Her lack was missed Sunday successful the nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame.
Geno Auriemma's MO during the seemingly never-ending drawstring of injuries the Huskies person suffered since past twelvemonth is nary 1 has to beryllium Azzi Fudd oregon Paige Bueckers single-handedly, conscionable that each idiosyncratic has to springiness a small spot much and beryllium the champion versions of themselves. No 1 subordinate is apt to abruptly mean 24.0 points per crippled (Fudd's PPG heading into Notre Dame), but if everyone tin collectively bash their part, UConn has its champion accidental of coming retired of this (relatively) unscathed.
The bully quality for UConn fans -- astatine slightest for the precise abbreviated word -- is the Huskies haven't dropped consecutive games since 1993, and Mühl, Ducharme, Juhász and Aaliyah Edwards cognize what it takes from past twelvemonth to navigate a horrible wounded spell. -- Philippou
What are the biggest challenges connected the docket portion Fudd is out? How does this interaction the Big East race?
If Fudd's lack is successful the shorter model of 3 weeks, she volition miss astatine slightest 4 games: vs. Princeton (Thursday), astatine Maryland (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC), vs. Florida State successful Uncasville, Connecticut (Dec. 18, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN), and vs. Seton Hall (Dec. 21).
So far, those teams person a combined grounds of 27-9, with the Terps (vs. Notre Dame) and Pirates (vs. Georgia and Marquette) having notable victories already. In short, these games each could contiguous challenges for the Huskies without Fuddd.
UConn travels to look No. 18 Creighton connected Dec. 28, which is 1 time retired from 3 weeks and projects arsenic 1 of UConn's much hard Big East games. Then the Huskies decorativeness 2022 backmost location against Marquette connected Dec. 31.
It would look apt that Fudd won't play the remainder of 2022, conscionable due to the fact that she and the Huskies person to beryllium focused connected her semipermanent future. But if Fudd is retired the afloat six weeks, that puts her backmost astir Jan. 17, meaning she would miss astatine slightest 11 games and perchance instrumentality Jan. 19 astatine Seton Hall.
Currently, each Big East squad has a winning grounds but Butler, which is 4-4, with St. John's starring the mode astatine 8-0. UConn really mislaid a league crippled past play (to Villanova), which was the Huskies' archetypal league decision since 2013 and the breakup of the aged Big East. UConn is inactive the Big East favorite, clearly, but Fudd's lack is simply a interest successful facing a league that truthful acold has shown up good this season.
The Huskies' marquee nonconference games successful 2023 are astatine Tennessee connected Jan. 26 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) and against No. 1 South Carolina connected Feb. 5. The second is simply a rematch of past season's nationalist title crippled won by South Carolina, successful which Fudd played 16 minutes and was held to 3 points.
The Gamecocks person looked precise beardown truthful far. That has not been the lawsuit for Tennessee, which is 4-5 and not ranked. Still, that is simply a rivalry crippled Fudd volition precise overmuch privation to beryllium a portion of, and it volition beryllium played a small implicit 7 weeks from now. -- Voepel
How does Fudd's lack interaction the remainder of the women's assemblage hoops landscape?
With her commencement this season, Fudd was being mentioned successful the nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth race, on with incumbent favorite, guardant Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, and Iowa defender Caitlin Clark, who is starring Division I successful scoring (28.2 PPG) for the 2nd consecutive season.
Last year, the contention came down to Boston and Clark aft Bueckers was constricted to 17 games due to the fact that of a genu wounded she suffered Dec. 5, 2021. That lack mostly removed Bueckers from the NPOY conversation, and if Fudd is retired for six weeks, it besides could beryllium the lawsuit for her. That said, Boston led her squad to the nationalist title past play and was the wide choice.
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Olivia Miles puts up 21 points and 8 rebounds arsenic Notre Dame grabs an awesome triumph implicit UConn.
If Fudd comes backmost strong, she could inactive beryllium portion of the race. As agelong arsenic Boston and Clark enactment steadfast and arsenic productive arsenic they've agelong shown they are, they are inactive the apical candidates. As for different players who mightiness beryllium considered, No. 2-ranked Stanford's equilibrium makes it a small hard for 1 subordinate to basal out, but Cameron Brink is astir apt their champion candidate.
Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes is starring her No. 4-ranked squad successful scoring and rebounding, and is 2nd successful Division I successful tract extremity percent (69.6). And portion No. 11 LSU has yet to look a ranked oregon Power 5 team, Angel Reese is starring Division I successful rebounding (14.2) and is seventh successful scoring mean (23.1). -- Voepel
How volition Fudd's lack interaction UConn successful Bracketology moving forward? What's the ripple effect?
UConn is the 4th No. 1 effect successful Tuesday's Bracketology, and determining whether the Huskies oregon Ohio State should beryllium successful that last spot connected the apical enactment was the astir time-consuming portion of this week's bracket projection. If the Huskies tin triumph against a challenging docket ahead, their presumption won't change.
The important facet to ticker is if UConn struggles without Fudd and past begins to play good again upon her return. If that happens, and Fudd remains steadfast heading into the NCAA tournament, the committee volition measurement those losses successful her lack differently. They won't beryllium discounted, but the Huskies volition beryllium much powerfully evaluated connected the squad they are with Fudd than without her.
Obviously, the longer Fudd is out, the much dubious UConn's concern becomes if they are incapable to bushed teams similar Maryland, Tennessee, Creighton and Villanova successful the adjacent month.
The bottommost enactment is it each depends connected however the Huskies play implicit the adjacent 3 to six weeks, whether they tin triumph against a challenging docket up and however Fudd and UConn look upon her return. -- Creme
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