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Message: [QUOTE="oldude, post: 5134779, member: 7511"] Do you remember the day? It was November 11, 2020. The pandemic had delayed the start of the basketball season. College basketball fans in general, and UConn fans in particular, were anxious to get their first look at Paige Bueckers, possibly the most heralded HS player ever. While the start of the season was still a month away, UConn fans were thrilled to see a video from Azzi Fudd, the incredible basketball talent out of DC, who announced she would be joining her BFF at the Basketball Capital of the World. Paige had lobbied Azzi relentlessly to come to UConn. UConn fans were ecstatic at the news. What followed only heightened expectations. Paige led UConn to the FF while earning every available NPOY award, an unprecedented achievement for a freshman. While Azzi’s HS season was canceled due to Covid, she resurfaced in the summer as one of the stars on the USA U-19 World Championship team. On a team loaded with scorers, Azzi sacrificed much of her scoring to assume the primary PG role, leading everyone in the tournament with a remarkable 3.9 A/TO ratio. The speculation on the BY and elsewhere focused on how many national championships the two superstars would win in their time together at UConn. Needless to say, the last 3 seasons have not yielded a national championship for UConn WBB. Paige and Azzi have been beset by injuries, surgeries and long rehabs. They have played only a handful of games on the court together. But hope springs eternal. Paige is back for a 5th year and Azzi is once again healthy. All indications are that Paige & Azzi’s strength and fitness have never been better. So far this season, Paige is playing like the NPOY again. While Azzi has slowly ramped up her game, the play of Paige and Azzi in the Bahamas against a very talented Ole Miss team was cause for celebration. The talented duo shot a combined 19/28 (68%), derailing the Rebels effort to pull off a huge upset. Beyond the two UConn Superstars, the Huskies have a deep and talented roster, and yet another superstar in the making in Sarah Strong. Against Holy Cross, we all witnessed something we had not seen in 387 days, Paige and Azzi both in the starting lineup together. It wasn’t an earth-shattering performance by either player. It didn’t need to be. This was Sarah’s game. Paige only scored 11 pts, but otherwise had her usual stat-stuffing game. Azzi was fine in her 18 minutes, particularly when you consider that she was dealing with a stomach virus and was questionable to play last night. There are tough games to come when UConn will need both Paige and Azzi to come up BIG. As a UConn fan, it is difficult not to feel a little cheated by the experiences of the past 3 seasons. But if Paige and Azzi can remain healthy for this one last season together, playing like everyone knows they are capable of, supported by a roster that will only get better, it will be a wonderful season to follow the Huskies. Maybe, just maybe, the basketball gods will finally relent and UConn will be holding up trophy #12 at the end of the season. [/QUOTE]

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