Azzi Fudd article

[Carnac]

By Lila Bromberg
Hartford Courant
Jan 20, 2023

‘It’s gut-wrenching’: How UConn women’s basketball is dealing with Azzi Fudd reinjuring her right knee​

“I think these next 11 days are probably going to be the most intense,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “This will be the toughest stretch of the season coming up.”

Fudd reinjured her right knee against Georgetown on Jan. 14 and will be out indefinitely, the program announced Friday. Auriemma said that there will be no weight bearing on her knee for the next two weeks and then she will be re-evaluated after that.

‘It’s gut-wrenching’: How UConn women’s basketball is dealing with Azzi Fudd reinjuring her right knee

UConn women's basketball will be without Azzi Fudd as it embarks on five games in 11 days, starting with Butler on Saturday. Here are the latest details on Fudd's knee injury and her timeline to return to play, updates on Ayanna Patterson and Caroline Ducharme as the Huskies continue to deal...

www.courant.com

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Poor Azzi. I hope they get her a good sports psychologist to help with the mental aspect of coming back. Same for all the girls.

 

[willtalk]

Unfortunately, some womens physical structure often does not support the present level of athleticism displayed by many in todays game. There were a lot of articles writting on this subject some time ago. It's a real shame but never the less a reality.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Can someone provide authoritative info on the possibility of Azzi getting a redshirt year? I'm not sure that she would want one, but is it possible? My understanding is that a player who plays no more than 30% of the regular season games and does not play after a certain date is eligible. Azzi has played in 9 games, including the 2 in which she was injured. That is less than 30% of 31 regular season games. Her last game was on January 15.

 

[wingsfan055]

Could special strengthening exercises or preventive treatments or equipment be done with the knees at the high school level? Seems like a lot of women knee injuries start that early.

 

[dabears17]

Can someone provide authoritative info on the possibility of Azzi getting a redshirt year? I'm not sure that she would want one, but is it possible? My understanding is that a player who plays no more than 30% of the regular season games and does not play after a certain date is eligible. Azzi has played in 9 games, including the 2 in which she was injured. That is less than 30% of 31 regular season games. Her last game was on January 15.

Looking quickly I found an article that said:

”In 2018 there was an NCAA medical redshirt rule change. According to the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Scott Young, “the NCAA has two requirements for a medical redshirt; the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season, and the athlete must have competed in less than 30 percent of the season. You must provide documentation of the injury, and it must be considered season-ending.”

 

[MilfordHusky]

Looking quickly I found an article that said:

”In 2018 there was an NCAA medical redshirt rule change. According to the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Scott Young, “the NCAA has two requirements for a medical redshirt; the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season, and the athlete must have competed in less than 30 percent of the season. You must provide documentation of the injury, and it must be considered season-ending.”

Thanks! That's more or less what I recall. Azzi was hurt in the 17th game of the season, so she did play in the second half. I guess that rules out redshirt. Darn!

 

[Wbbfan1]

IMO UConn should just shut down Azzi for the rest of the year and have her come back next year fully healthy. Its unrealistic to think that this team can compete for a National Championship without Paige. However, if Azzi wants to comeback and play this year, then let her play as long as she's completely healthy.

If Caroline continues to have concussion like symptoms then it might be best to shut her down as well.

 

[Topdawg]

The latest injury, it could be argued, was a recurrence of a prior injury. That said, Azzi/UConn should do what is best for Azzi in the long term.

 

[Bald Husky]

Poor Azzi. I hope they get her a good sports psychologist to help with the mental aspect of coming back. Same for all the girls.

I could use one myself at this point.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno will never cancel a game to avoid a loss and the kids on the team would be outraged if he did. If they lose, they lose. It’s just a freaking basketball game.

 

[Littlemin]

I am of a different generation but quitting and cancelling are just not in my vocabulary. Uconn does not recruit quitters, they recruit players that learn to deal with adversity. Auriemma touched on the subject in his latest presser, citing Uconn players learn how to be professional while at the university. This appears obvious when you look at the tremendous success ex-Uconn players have had in and out of basketball upon moving on.
As a player, I would be PO’d beyond belief if a game was cancelled when I was on a team that had enough players to play. Losing is not the worst thing in life but learning to quit is sure up there. It becomes much easier to do once you start.
Finally, Fudd was re-injured against Gtown, should they have cancelled that game because the outcome was a fait accompli?

 

[HuskyNan]

Someone could get hurt with 10 players on the bench.

 

[lanieer]

Azzi will be ok. That was a freak injury with Aliyah falling on her leg. The problem is once she gets off the crutches she will have to rebuild her leg muscles again. Will it be worth her starting up in March? Caroline is a different matter. She had neck issues and frequent concussions. She isn’t the same player since the beginning of last year. She played 2 - 30 minute games in a row and had an ice pack on her head and next day has a concussion from a screen. Geno alluded to her issues being complicated. UConn needs to be extremely careful clearing her again for many reasons.

 

[HuskyNan]

There’s no season if they don’t play the games, either.

 

[LarryLegend]

Lets face it - Azzi is done for the season. This is the same knee that she suffered torn ACL/MCL in 2019, now two more injuries in a short timespan.

 

[Littlemin]

Why not just petition the BE to cancel all remaining games so Uconn just goes right to the NCAAs? Everyone knows they are in the tournament. One other point though, I am pretty sure the 7 scholarship player rule is for the BE only, not OOC or the NCAAs. Uconn is such a marquee team, I would think there would be some accommodations made by the conference if it came to the scenario you fear.
Anyway, as Auriemma and Dailey have preached, you play the hand you are dealt; if that means Uconn continues to be snake bitten and the season ends prematurely, amazingly unfortunate, but so be it.

 

[Urshurak]

I’m just really worried that the injury Azzi sustained in high school just has never really been 100% heathy, making it extremely injury prone. She’s missed probably half the games since she’s been at UConn? Not sure of what percent. My heart aches for her, but it is what it is. CD has to think about her future also. Concussion is no joke. Several have alluded to the fact that basketball is a game. We and the players love it. I get it. But……it’s just a game.

Imagine this UConn team with a healthy, 100% all players playing every game? Who would challenge them? Stanford? Nope. SC? Nope. Nobody.

Stinks for all involved. Especially for these amazing young women.

 

[Centerstream]

Azzi will be ok. That was a freak injury with Aliyah falling on her leg. The problem is once she gets off the crutches she will have to rebuild her leg muscles again. Will it be worth her starting up in March? Caroline is a different matter. She had neck issues and frequent concussions. She isn’t the same player since the beginning of last year. She played 2 - 30 minute games in a row and had an ice pack on her head and next day has a concussion from a screen. Geno alluded to her issues being complicated. UConn needs to be extremely careful clearing her again for many reasons.

State your source, with facts please. And in the last game she played, she caught an elbow to the side of her head, thus that ice pack. Watch the replay, it will show it.

 

[Mrhoops33]

UConn should just shut her down for the rest of the regular season,then reavaluate her come tourney time.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Would Big East rules apply to a non-conference game?