Senior Day - info on Azzi and others

[Basingstoke]

FS1 confirmed that they're televising the senior day festivities after tomorrow's game!

 

[topogigio]

To elaborate, the 30% rule only applies to games played in the first half of the season. Once an athlete plays even one game in the second half of the season, that counts as a year and burns a year of eligibility.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Tonyc]

Just some thoughts.

Caroline. If healthy will be back next season.
Azzi I believe will be back next season due to all her injuries the past few years and she has time remaining
Paige I will bet that there will be a ceremony putting her name on the Wall of Honor.

Next season Sarah Azzi and perhaps Caroline. Gee I remember when I saw Paige Azzi Caroline and Amari all together at a game in Gampel. What might've been if they were all healthy.

 

[Longtime fan]

I believe I either read an article or a video that Caroline has said that she still wants the chance to play pro. Obviously, she will not enter this year's draft in the condition that she is in now. It would be important for her, as long as she is able, to come back next year to show the W that she is medically fine, and that her game will be an asset to any team in the league. She is not physically or mentally ready to enter the draft or even try to sign as a free agent this year. Get some PT this year, come back next year and make a statement. I wish her well, and hope she comes back.

She has to have a great year, a dominating year, for the pros to be interested. Let's hope she puts everyone"s fears to rest and emerges as a star. And let's hope wee get to see a hint of that in the remaining games of 2025. So far, in all honesty, her appearances have been welcoming and honorific, rather than productive and foretelling of a fabulous future on the court. Maybe that will all change in the next few weeks.

 

[bballnut90]

I believe it was during the Creighton game, not 100% positive, that the very knowledgeable announcers said that Azzi is considered the #3 pick in this year's draft.
I'm not either arguing for or against this, just passing it along.

I’ve seen mocks with her as high as #3. I’d be surprised if she dropped below #6 with how many picks the Mystics have. Taking a chance on Fudd seems like a worthwhile risk to build their future, especially since they’re in rebuild mode right now.

Even with a monster year next season, I don’t think Fudd would likely climb into the top 3 ahead of Betts/Flaujae/Latson due to injury history. Another injury could plummet her stock though. From an outsider’s view, I think the best choice for Fudd is to declare if she’s trying to maximize her chance of sticking in the league.

 

[HuskieDawg]

I’ve seen mocks with her as high as #3. I’d be surprised if she dropped below #6 with how many picks the Mystics have. Taking a chance on Fudd seems like a worthwhile risk to build their future, especially since they’re in rebuild mode right now.

Even with a monster year next season, I don’t think Fudd would likely climb into the top 3 ahead of Betts/Flaujae/Latson due to injury history. Another injury could plummet her stock though. From an outsider’s view, I think the best choice for Fudd is to declare if she’s trying to maximize her chance of sticking in the league.

Mock drafts have her all over the first round. Some recent ones have her at the bottom. I saw one or two that didn’t have her in the first round at all. Not saying which are more reliable or not, just that there is a wide range of outcomes from what is being predicted,

I don’t think her “sticking” in the league has anything to do with her declaring this year or next. She’ll stick in the league because of her abilities and potential regardless of which draft she enters or which pick she is taken with.

She has a lot to consider including her past injury history, is she just ready to move on from “college life”, money (rookie dollars will likely go up quite a bit for those entering draft in 2026 v this year), and what she may or may not feel she has left to prove or wishes to prove at UConn.

Whatever her decision we can all agree we want nothing but the best for her and know she will be successfu.

 

[Dawson]

ESPN article is up on Azzi still deciding between staying or going

 

[hoopsfan22]

I hope Azzi comes back. Losing Paige is going to be huge, but having a core of Azzi, Sarah, Ash, and KK to build a team around isn't the worst thing in the world.

 

[MinneHusky]

Confirmed Caroline will be back for next season

 

[Mike72fl]

I think Azzi should come back next year to work on areas (e.g. leadership, play point guard, better decision making, etc.) other than shooting. With Paige and Chen are leaving, we will need a real point guard next year. KK is a good ball handler, but she is not a natural point guard. For that reason, Azzi should come back to improve her overall game and to help KK out.

 

[Centerstream]

I believe it was during the Creighton game, not 100% positive, that the very knowledgeable announcers said that Azzi is considered the #3 pick in this year's draft.
I'm not either arguing for or against this, just passing it along.

Correction: it was during the SoCar game that Ryan Ruocco said it about Azzi.

Anyone wanna guess what I am doing this evening?????

 

[packwrap]

She has a lot to consider including her past injury history, is she just ready to move on from “college life”, money (rookie dollars will likely go up quite a bit for those entering draft in 2026 v this year), and what she may or may not feel she has left to prove or wishes to prove at UConn.

Money issue in WNBA less than people realize.

Current rookie salary is $80,000.

If it goes up 3x new 2026 rookie salary could be $240,000.

That's nice, but it will still be a lot less than Azzi's earnings from sponsors in the WNBA. (Chipotle, Nerf, Biosteel, American Eagle etc...)

The big sponsor of course is Under Armour & their Curry Brand, where she is in line for a shoe. Conservatively, she will earn $2 million+ from her sponsors in her WNBA season 1!

Similarly Nika earned $80,000 in player salary for the Storm. Just her work for Mazda would pay $250,000 to $1million, depending if Mazda is using that film also in Croatia/Europe.

Therefore, the solution on how to improve earnings in today's world is to have your agent go find another sponsor, rather than waiting for the still small player salary to increase.

Someone will probably ask the question: 'why would a sponsor sign Azzi, Paige, or Nika before they are established WNBA players?'

3 reasons: 1- cheaper to sign them now than wait for them to get more expensive, 2- due UConn/NCAA/high school/social media, these three are already household names. 3- potential. Particularly, Azzi&Paige are viewed by the sports marketing industry to be faces of WBB for next 10-15 years. Despite injuries and inconsistency, experts are comfortable that Azzi will deliver at WNBA level and are willing to pay up front for it.

Azzi's choice of pro/college will be mostly about basketball and less about money. She is pretty much in a no lose situation...as long as she stays fit.

 

[HuskyNan]

Postgame ceremony

 

[ConnMotors]

UConn really needs Azzi’s offense next year. We have a three headed dragon right now in Paige, Azzi and Sarah. It would be great to see her back and start with Sarah and Ashlynn.

 

[Monte]

Fox just announced on the UCLA--USC game that they will carry the Senior Day activities AFTER the UCONN game on Sunday.

 

[JBK]

Quick question.
At what venue last year did Paige announce she was coming back
I guess I am hoping that Azzi does the same thing.

 

[BRS24]

Quick question.
At what venue last year did Paige announce she was coming back
I guess I am hoping that Azzi does the same thing.

Per the article earlier in this thread, Azzi has stated she is staying present in the moment. Team still has the game today, and conference tourney next weekend. It's easy to get caught up in moments such as senior day, however I'd guess that Paige had already made up her mind and decided to announce.

Geno stated that he likes to have a firm answer from players on their status for next season ideally after the conference tournament, before the portal opens, which is March 25, however even if Azzi makes her decision by then, and informs the coaches, there's a good chance that nothing will be announced until after UConn's season is done, preferably on April 6th.

 

[sno-cat]

Confirmed Caroline will be back for next season

Confirmed by who?

 

[Geew1992]

Confirmed by who?

By Caroline

 

[BBallF]

She has to have a great year, a dominating year, for the pros to be interested. Let's hope she puts everyone"s fears to rest and emerges as a star. And let's hope wee get to see a hint of that in the remaining games of 2025. So far, in all honesty, her appearances have been welcoming and honorific, rather than productive and foretelling of a fabulous future on the court. Maybe that will all change in the next few weeks.

I agree but she has not played in 15 months. I remember her as a freshman very clearly and she had it all and at 6'2" was an impossible defend. If she has a strong injury free summer she can be very good. Before she got hurt agin, Geno had her starting and said she was the best 3 point shooter on a team with Azzi!

 

[BBallF]

Quick question.
At what venue last year did Paige announce she was coming back
I guess I am hoping that Azzi does the same thing.

On Senior Day/Night.

 

[Shenandoah]

Sad to say, but I think that NIL vs the WNBA salary structure next year may also factor in on whether student athletes opt to declare for the draft or not. Add in injury history vs the opportunity to get an advanced degree while strengthening their bodies as well as their game; there is no down side to staying.

 

[packwrap]

Sad to say, but I think that NIL vs the WNBA salary structure next year may also factor in on whether student athletes opt to declare for the draft or not.

How will it factor in?

 

[Shenandoah]

How will it factor in?

According to the Sporting News, rookies drafted in the top 4 sign a 4 year contract averaging 84,514. I would venture a guess that both Paige and Azzi make considerably more in NIL money.

How much do WNBA players make? Highest paid, average salary, rookie deals and more for 2024 | Sporting News

The Sporting News details the largest and average salaries in the WNBA as well as what the 2024 rookies can expect to make.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[HuskyNan]

Quick question.
At what venue last year did Paige announce she was coming back
I guess I am hoping that Azzi does the same thing.

In the pregame interviews yesterday, a writer asked Azzi if she would be making an announcement on Senior Day like Paige did last year and she said no. She was definitive