Azzi getting her mind and body ready to lead | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Azzi getting her mind and body ready to lead

Azzi was disappointing in the NC game. She only hit 3 points and I think she was intimidated by S Carolina, especially Zia Cooke. Showed little confidence and just ran around the court, made bad passes, got a jump
shot blocked by Saxton, and only hit one three. She had a similar bad performance in the earlier game against
S Carolina. Azzi's heart is suspect. She has to learn to compete. great skills but its in the heart. ask paige
 
cgshuskie said:
Azzi was disappointing in the NC game. She only hit 3 points and I think she was intimidated by S Carolina, especially Zia Cooke. Showed little confidence and just ran around the court, made bad passes, got a jump
shot blocked by Saxton, and only hit one three. She had a similar bad performance in the earlier game against
S Carolina. Azzi's heart is suspect. She has to learn to compete. great skills but its in the heart. ask paige
Expand ...

Azzi had a stomach flu in the championship game. She was also playing injured to some degree. Her heart is not suspect.
 
cgshuskie said:
Azzi was disappointing in the NC game. She only hit 3 points and I think she was intimidated by S Carolina, especially Zia Cooke. Showed little confidence and just ran around the court, made bad passes, got a jump
shot blocked by Saxton, and only hit one three. She had a similar bad performance in the earlier game against
S Carolina. Azzi's heart is suspect. She has to learn to compete. great skills but its in the heart. ask paige
Expand ...
One poster told you she was sick game 2 it's why she didn't play. It was reported she was sick. Not sure as a husky fan how you missed that?

The 1st game she was playing injured. She played just 10 minutes then right after the game went immediately on the Injured List. Again - not sure why a UCONN Husky fan doesn't know this?

The comment about Azzi's heart made me laugh. Thank you for that joke.
 
cgshuskie said:
Azzi's heart is suspect. She has to learn to compete. great skills but its in the heart. ask paige
Expand ...
Like many others, I reacted negatively to the wording of this post, initially. But I can understand the concern. Azzi was a bit tentative as a freshman. Now granted, she was injured for much of the year, and this may have undermined her confidence. We caught glimpses of her brilliance early on, and then basked in the glory of it late in the season. And finally, in the NC game she seemed to falter -- I gather she was under the weather -- and maybe a little bit in the Stanford game, too.

If I compare her freshman year to Paige's a difference immediately emerges. No freshman jitters for Paige. She was the go-to player from day one until the Arizona game. The Tennessee game and the SC game are amazing examples of just how much heart she had. In the one, she came back from an injury to lift the team from a poor shooting night and finish off the Vols. In the SC game, she played well all game, but especially in the last few minutes and all of overtime. She took the team on her back and almost single-handedly wrenched the victory away from the Gamecocks. She suffered similar injuries, and was probably under the weather occasionally too. This is what we haven't seen Azzi do yet -- though in the loss to Villanova, she asserted herself in the second half and engineered the comeback that fell only slightly short.

This is what I think Azzi means when she says she can do better. She means to be what Paige was to the team these last two years. I have enormous confidence in her, and will give her the benefit of the doubt now and throughout the season. I assume she is already the best guard in the country -- you guys have already mocked me for this, perhaps deservedly. But even injured, even as a freshman, she was who opposing coaches strategized against (Kelly Harper said as much in a postgame interview) and that tells me they know what can come from this young woman's spark. She will set opposing teams ablaze.

One completely positive indicator for me is that as a freshman, Geno wanted her at the free throw line at the end of close games, perhaps even in preference to Paige.
 
Bone Dog said:
Like many others, I reacted negatively to the wording of this post, initially. But I can understand the concern. Azzi was a bit tentative as a freshman. Now granted, she was injured for much of the year, and this may have undermined her confidence. We caught glimpses of her brilliance early on, and then basked in the glory of it late in the season. And finally, in the NC game she seemed to falter -- I gather she was under the weather -- and maybe a little bit in the Stanford game, too.

If I compare her freshman year to Paige's a difference immediately emerges. No freshman jitters for Paige. She was the go-to player from day one until the Arizona game. The Tennessee game and the SC game are amazing examples of just how much heart she had. In the one, she came back from an injury to lift the team from a poor shooting night and finish off the Vols. In the SC game, she played well all game, but especially in the last few minutes and all of overtime. She took the team on her back and almost single-handedly wrenched the victory away from the Gamecocks. She suffered similar injuries, and was probably under the weather occasionally too. This is what we haven't seen Azzi do yet -- though in the loss to Villanova, she asserted herself in the second half and engineered the comeback that fell only slightly short.

This is what I think Azzi means when she says she can do better. She means to be what Paige was to the team these last two years. I have enormous confidence in her, and will give her the benefit of the doubt now and throughout the season. I assume she is already the best guard in the country -- you guys have already mocked me for this, perhaps deservedly. But even injured, even as a freshman, she was who opposing coaches strategized against (Kelly Harper said as much in a postgame interview) and that tells me they know what can come from this young woman's spark. She will set opposing teams ablaze.

One completely positive indicator for me is that as a freshman, Geno wanted her at the free throw line at the end of close games, perhaps even in preference to Paige.
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I have no doubt as to Azzi’s heart (or dedication).
The unfortunate fact is that she has been competing on a bad wheel ever since she arrived
Injury occurred during HS career and has lingered UNTIL THIS DAY
There is ( reportedly) lingering (minor?) issues with this stress.
 
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I have every confidence Azzi will be a great player for us. I believe her name will be on the wall. I’m certainly not ready to buy that she is lacking in “heart”! However, I also believe that there’s a lot of hyperbole going on about both her and Nika. Let’s face it, we have only seen tantalizing tidbits of Azzi so far. That is obviously not her fault as she was never fully healthy in her freshman season.
I must say though, these comparisons to Paige are imo waaay over the top. Paige is on a different level! I see her in the same light as Maya, Dee, and Stewie (and she wouldn’t be last on that list either)! I realize there is a school of thought that she (Paige) can never be fully a part of that group unless she wins a championship and I even understand that pov.
However, in terms of being a basketball player, with all that implies; handle, shooting, passing, instinct, heart, love of the game, and the ability and willingness (eagerness) to step up when things aren’t looking good, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone like Paige!
My all time favorite basketball player is Larry Legend. To me, he personified how this game should (and very rarely, could) be played. I never thought I would say this about what is essentially a sophomore college player but I think Paige comes from the same bloodlines as Bird, Magic, Jordan etc. She simply has something that other “mere mortals” don’t.
So, I have to say, when I hear that Azzi is as good as Paige right now, or that Nika is as good a passer (or anything else on a basketball court) as Paige I have to wonder what I’m missing. I’m not saying (at all) that Azzi, specifically, will not be a truly great player (perhaps even a “Rushmore” player, only that we haven’t seen that from her yet.
As for Nika, yes she’s an asset, she’s a strong defensive presence, has a winning attitude, is a competent point guard, but (again, IMO) she is not and will likely never, be on Paige’s level at anything on the basketball court.
I say all this, not to be hurtful or because I don’t like or respect Azzi and Nika, but rather because I don’t think some people fully appreciate just how special Paige really is! She is imo, even as an injured junior, already the best women’s player I’ve ever seen!
 
cgshuskie said:
Azzi was disappointing in the NC game. She only hit 3 points and I think she was intimidated by S Carolina, especially Zia Cooke. Showed little confidence and just ran around the court, made bad passes, got a jump
shot blocked by Saxton, and only hit one three. She had a similar bad performance in the earlier game against
S Carolina. Azzi's heart is suspect. She has to learn to compete. great skills but its in the heart. ask paige
Expand ...
Hmmmm? Her numbers aren’t the numbers that were upsetting. She was only a freshmen. The “Wooden award” nominee was shell shocked. That’s were the team faltered.
 
Ok. I’ll say it. Paige and Azzi have the same skill set. Where they differ is the mental. That’s the only difference and that’s what make Paige’s game a bit better for now. I suspect that will change this season and Azzi will elevate her game because she has too.
 
Cuango said:
I have every confidence Azzi will be a great player for us. I believe her name will be on the wall. I’m certainly not ready to buy that she is lacking in “heart”! However, I also believe that there’s a lot of hyperbole going on about both her and Nika. Let’s face it, we have only seen tantalizing tidbits of Azzi so far. That is obviously not her fault as she was never fully healthy in her freshman season.
I must say though, these comparisons to Paige are imo waaay over the top. Paige is on a different level! I see her in the same light as Maya, Dee, and Stewie (and she wouldn’t be last on that list either)! I realize there is a school of thought that she (Paige) can never be fully a part of that group unless she wins a championship and I even understand that pov.
However, in terms of being a basketball player, with all that implies; handle, shooting, passing, instinct, heart, love of the game, and the ability and willingness (eagerness) to step up when things aren’t looking good, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone like Paige!
My all time favorite basketball player is Larry Legend. To me, he personified how this game should (and very rarely, could) be played. I never thought I would say this about what is essentially a sophomore college player but I think Paige comes from the same bloodlines as Bird, Magic, Jordan etc. She simply has something that other “mere mortals” don’t.
So, I have to say, when I hear that Azzi is as good as Paige right now, or that Nika is as good a passer (or anything else on a basketball court) as Paige I have to wonder what I’m missing. I’m not saying (at all) that Azzi, specifically, will not be a truly great player (perhaps even a “Rushmore” player, only that we haven’t seen that from her yet.
As for Nika, yes she’s an asset, she’s a strong defensive presence, has a winning attitude, is a competent point guard, but (again, IMO) she is not and will likely never, be on Paige’s level at anything on the basketball court.
I say all this, not to be hurtful or because I don’t like or respect Azzi and Nika, but rather because I don’t think some people fully appreciate just how special Paige really is! She is imo, even as an injured junior, already the best women’s player I’ve ever seen!
Expand ...

And yet I read every day that "Nika needs to be a 3 level scorer" "Nika has to be a better passer" "Azzi needs to play like Bueckers in big moments of big games"

I'd love to see that. What I see is that some think that Bueckers-level play is the new benchmark for UConn guards and those who can't measure up are simply not trying hard enough.
 
Alydar said:
And yet I read every day that "Nika needs to be a 3 level scorer" "Nika has to be a better passer" "Azzi needs to play like Bueckers in big moments of big games"

I'd love to see that. What I see is that some think that Bueckers-level play is the new benchmark for UConn guards and those who can't measure up are simply not trying hard enough.
Expand ...
Current and shiny new toys are ALWAYS the best. The best UConn player I ever watched was Stewart. Paige can’t touch her! I know I know different position. I said what I said.
 
Mdoggie said:
Ok. I’ll say it. Paige and Azzi have the same skill set. Where they differ is the mental. That’s the only difference and that’s what make Paige’s game a bit better for now. I suspect that will change this season and Azzi will elevate her game because she has too.
Expand ...

They both have exceptional talent. Fudd admitted that Bueckers is the better passer and Bueckers has admitted that Fudd is the better shooter. That doesn't mean that Fudd needs to improve her passing or that Bueckers needs to improve her shooting. Work on those? They don't need us to tell them that. Muhl is brought up some here make it a virtual demand that she must become a 3 level scorer. The reality is that Muhl came in knowing she would play pg behind Bueckers. And when Geno moved Bueckers to the 2 because the upperclassmen couldn't produce enough offense Muhl handled the 1 as a freshman. Notice I said handled, not excelled. And that was as good as anyone should expect from a backup pg. She has flaws? What a shock that a backup player isn't as good as the 1st string player! Thankfully there are fans here that remind us all of that every day.

Muhl has always impressed me as being 100% committed to hard work and intensity. She admitted that she needs to work on aspects like her mid-range shooting. What she didn't say was that she needed to "START" working on her midrange game as at least one fan has stated.
 
.-.
Bone Dog said:
Like many others, I reacted negatively to the wording of this post, initially. But I can understand the concern. Azzi was a bit tentative as a freshman. Now granted, she was injured for much of the year, and this may have undermined her confidence. We caught glimpses of her brilliance early on, and then basked in the glory of it late in the season. And finally, in the NC game she seemed to falter -- I gather she was under the weather -- and maybe a little bit in the Stanford game, too.

If I compare her freshman year to Paige's a difference immediately emerges. No freshman jitters for Paige. She was the go-to player from day one until the Arizona game. The Tennessee game and the SC game are amazing examples of just how much heart she had. In the one, she came back from an injury to lift the team from a poor shooting night and finish off the Vols. In the SC game, she played well all game, but especially in the last few minutes and all of overtime. She took the team on her back and almost single-handedly wrenched the victory away from the Gamecocks. She suffered similar injuries, and was probably under the weather occasionally too. This is what we haven't seen Azzi do yet -- though in the loss to Villanova, she asserted herself in the second half and engineered the comeback that fell only slightly short.

This is what I think Azzi means when she says she can do better. She means to be what Paige was to the team these last two years. I have enormous confidence in her, and will give her the benefit of the doubt now and throughout the season. I assume she is already the best guard in the country -- you guys have already mocked me for this, perhaps deservedly. But even injured, even as a freshman, she was who opposing coaches strategized against (Kelly Harper said as much in a postgame interview) and that tells me they know what can come from this young woman's spark. She will set opposing teams ablaze.

One completely positive indicator for me is that as a freshman, Geno wanted her at the free throw line at the end of close games, perhaps even in preference to Paige.
Expand ...
I agree with this. I don't have too much worries about Azzi, outside of health. Idk if she'll be very good or great but she'll be one of the two for sure. NC State was an elite team and she balled out. Tennessee was ranked ahead of UConn and it was her first start and she balled out. As others have mentioned the free throws at the end of the Stanford game were clutch for a freshman. On the other hand, I kind of think it's a nod to the budding SC and UConn rivalry, though I think the teams on the surface seem friendly. But I think some feel you have to do it in that game. Kind of like a Duke v Carolina game or a Yankees vs Red Sox game. It's like u have to go to another level in that game. Even after the game in the Bahamas, Geno mentioned Paige wasn't great. I remember thinking she had like 19 and 7 and was their main offense in the first half. But it's like against another number 1, another POY candidate u have to be that much better. And so the other worry I have is her putting a lot of pressure on herself.
Also I just think the ball wasn't in Azzi's hands a lot throughout the season. Not only did she share with other senior guards and the poy but also one of the better passing/facilitating bigs. I'm interested to see if this changes this year.
 
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Azzi is a great player and very sweet person. One of the reasons I wanted her to play at UConn was that time spent with Paige and Geno would make her tougher. I look forward to Azzi's development. She has skills that no one else does.
 
cgshuskie said:
Do any of our present players have the heart and fire of Jennifer Rizzoti? Little Jennifer. She was as big 'in the heart' as Alijah Boston. Rizzoti (back in 1995) set the tone for Uconn wbb as champions. Azzi needs some of what Rizzoti had.
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It’s a good question. I think several of our players have the Rizzotti factor. Aaliyah and Caroline for sure. Dorka transferred because she wanted to win and OSU didn’t have what it takes. Nika has it. I think Ice has it.

Does Azzi have that fire? I think so, absolutely. She knows what it takes to win. I remember how Jakia Brown-Turner led her team to the high school championship game in DC and they were favorites. Their opponents had a freshman who’d impressed a few people. That freshman torched Brown-Turner’s team at every level, even when she was guarded by Brown-Turner herself. Imagine Brown-Turner’s feelings when NC St met UConn in the Elite 8 game last season and that same freshman torched her team again. I think Azzi’s got as much of the Rizzotti factor as we’ll need.
 
Bone Dog said:
It’s a good question. I think several of our players have the Rizzotti factor. Aaliyah and Caroline for sure. Dorka transferred because she wanted to win and OSU didn’t have what it takes. Nika has it. I think Ice has it.

Does Azzi have that fire? I think so, absolutely. She knows what it takes to win. I remember how Jakia Brown-Turner led her team to the high school championship game in DC and they were favorites. Their opponents had a freshman who’d impressed a few people. That freshman torched Brown-Turner’s team at every level, even when she was guarded by Brown-Turner herself. Imagine Brown-Turner’s feelings when NC St met UConn in the Elite 8 game last season and that same freshman torched her team again. I think Azzi’s got as much of the Rizzotti factor as we’ll need.
Expand ...

Azzi is a little like Sue Bird, though even quieter. She'll kill you while she's smiling.
 
.-.
Stymie said:
I enjoy all the chit chat.
And various points of view.
EZ going guy.
Major problems with anyone short changing Nika.
Relentless.
Fearless
Tiger.
Leader.
Out.
Expand ...
How did Nika come into this… again? I thought we were talking about Azzi. Whatever.

If you’ve got to talk about our point guards, instead of making it about this or that player, try describing for us what skills you think a point guard ought to have. That way you don’t have to slip into hating this or that player.
 
cgshuskie said:
We should never confuse Azzi with Paige. They are different types of players and people. Paige has the 'killer'
instinct like Jordan, Lebron, Kobe and Curry. (ball champions all). Azzi is a nicer person, not a 'killer' on the court. Look back at film of last year. Azzi ran all over the court looking for an open shot. She rarely, if ever, challenged a defender. Yes, she was a freshman and yes she was injured but certain things on the court are instinctive. Azzi, while a great shooter (and player ) is not " I'm scoring here no matter what you do, even if I have to go over or through you".
I hope that Geno figures out a scheme of how to get Azzi open shots. She will take and make such shots. But she is not the person who will show up in the 'big game', the 'must have' game and score no matter what. Yes, she will make FT's all the time, but she is not a 'dog' type player. Paige is a dog. She'll score when she has to, no matter what!
Unfortunately, we lost the SC championship game, in part, because Azzi and CW did not show up and let SC take them out of their game.
In our prior eleven (11) championship games we had dogs, i.e., championship types on the courts. We had Jennifer Rizzoti, the Tass Force girls, Taurasi, Moore, Stewart, Tuck, Dolson, Mosquita-Lewis and others. They went into championships with will, fire and determination. They refused to be stopped or beat.
I hope to see the same championship fire in Azzi, Alijah Edwards, Dorka, Caroline and Lou. Hopefully the fire is in Ice and Ayanna. It must be there to win the Nattie. Do any of our present players have the heart and fire of Jennifer Rizzoti? Little Jennifer. She was as big 'in the heart' as Alijah Boston. Rizzoti (back in 1995) set the tone for Uconn wbb as champions. Azzi needs some of what Rizzoti had.
I don't mean to downplay the heart and skill of the present Huskies wbb. I love the team and wish them the best. Yet, I wonder if the "fire" is burning in them for number 12. No team is going to give it to them. They have to take it, number 12.
Expand ...
CG, I agree. Paige has a little bit of DT in her, i.e. she'll challenge her defender believing there she can score no matter what the defender tries to do. Azzi has phenomenal skills, a NPOY candidate. Some people need to take "happy pills", imagine what Azzi would be like if she took a "mean girl pill"?
 
I think that Azzi has the clutch factor.
She can make the clutch shots and the foul shots in the clutch, she's proved that.
Maybe there's some confusion with her not being more like an Alpha women.
You can't have too many Alpha women, they'll get in each other's way trying to take control of the game and end up competing against each other as teammates.
Maybe a team can only have one Alpha on the court at a time.
If it needs to be Azzi, then she'll learn to do it.
If it needs to be someone else, then someone else will get the ball in tough situations.
We'll see if Azzi is both the clutch and the Alpha or not in Paige's absence.
I doubt that we can proclaim that Azzi is not the top dog yet if she proves to be the most clutch.
I think that she can do it because she has ice in her veins.
But no one can do it if they're sick and ready to puke their guts out like in the NC game when other players were injured or not playing up to par.
Maybe under tough circumstances like the team is in again this year, the entire team needs to be an Alpha team with Azzi being the primary clutch.
Just wait & see how things develop.
But I wouldn't bet against Azzi, she's a dedicated & deadly assassin who will be playing her heart out.
IMO she's got the evil eye, the killer instinct of a UConn warrior but hopefully she won't be reckless enough to expose herself to needless injury unless there's a NC on the line.
Sometimes it's better to accept defeat & to be able to come back & play the next game healthy & in one piece.
I think that in the end she'll prove that her doubters are wrong.
 
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sun said:
Maybe a team can only have one Alpha on the court at a time.
Expand ...
I wonder if Azzi and Caroline can be twin alphas, so to speak. They aren’t twin towers. I though they could be twin pillars in another thread. But maybe they’re meant to be twin alphas — quiet individually but full of fire together.
 
.-.
cgshuskie said:
I agree with 'Sun'! We'll learn whether Azzi can be 'clutch' and an 'Alpha women'. I think that
you have to be Alpha to lead Uconn. And to HoopHuskie, view the national championship game again. No points from Azzi or CW until the 4th quarter. We needed them throughout the game. Their ususal game scoring could
have won the nattie for us; #12. None of our greats in the past went scoreless in the big game until the 4th q. Geno needs to give out some 'mean girl pills' to the present team.
Expand ...
We do need them. But we've already all chewed over that NC game too many times to need to be reminded again that Azzi and Caroline were not perfectly healthy for that game. It may not be the evidence you seem to think it is. Yes, I wish they'd been able to contribute more, the two freshmen on the floor, as opposed to the three seniors. I'm sure they felt the pressure of the occasion as well. But I don't see in it a harbinger of some deficiency in their play.
 
After Geno recruited Elena Delle Donne, he said something to the effect that EDD wasn't the toughest kid on the block or something like that. I think one of his goals would have been to toughen her up a little. Other than injuries, EDD is having a phenomenal career. Only a few players have been 2x MVPs.
 
I think that Milford Husky is right. Azzi is a little like Sue Bird. I hope she has Bird's will to win. Bird's will brought
a lot of gold.
 
Mdoggie said:
EDD was truly a generational talent coming out of high school. Her brand could’ve been so much more if……….
Expand ...
I was lucky enough to have a front row seat for the EDD experience starting when she was 12 and winning National AAU championships with Caroline Doty. Front row seat was because I had daughters in the same AAU program that used to practice before and after EDD's and Caroline's team at Chestnut Hill College. It was a phenomenal experience but I still feel cheated in the sense that for just one season I would have like to have seen a UCONN front court of Maya, Tina Charles and EDD. That would have been epic but UCONN didn't seem to miss EDD much those first two years had she stayed at UCONN. All the team did was go 39 and 0 in back to back seasons. But UCONN sure could have used her when Maya was a senior.
 
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A little more updated material on Azzi's state of mind heading into the season

www.courant.com

UConn women’s basketball expecting Azzi Fudd to make big leap in her sophomore season

Though she showed glimpses of greatness, Azzi Fudd didn’t feel at all like herself in her freshman season at UConn. The 5-foot-11 guard dealt with a foot injury all year which hampered her mo…
www.courant.com www.courant.com

Valley wants to see Fudd be aggressive as she can be this season. Though she wasn’t able to do that consistently last year because of the injury, Fudd has proved up to the task in the early stages of team workouts.

“When she’s feeling good, I don’t know many people who can stop her,” Valley said. “She’s focused, she’s ready, I think.”

“I’m excited not to just show everyone else that, but kind of just to show myself I’m feeling so much better, moving so much better,” Fudd said. “So I’m excited to be able to move and play the way I know I can again.”
 
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