UConn women's basketball star Azzi Fudd's appearance at a Dallas Wings game drew a massive line of fans to take a picture with her. Fudd was there to support her former teammate Paige Bueckers. The two led the Huskies to their 12th national championship in school history a few months ago in a redemption story for both star guards. Fudd and Bueckers had to overcome catastrophic injuries early in their careers to get back to this stage. Seeing them shine in the title game against South Carolina was a feel-good moment for the program and everyone outside the Gamecocks.

The 22-year-old could have departed this offseason and potentially gone No. 1 and No. 2 in the WNBA Draft alongside Bueckers, but decided to stay in school for one more season. Fudd, therefore, will enter 2025 with All-American expectations, especially after being named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. And it's already clear that Azzi is a household name even in college, as shown in this video of the fans waiting to meet her.

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For Geno Auriemma, it was a long way back to another championship, at least by his standards. While the Hall of Fame coach had been to the Final Four six times since his last title, the Huskies had not won it all since 2016. It all came together down the stretch this past season as the trio of Bueckers, Fudd, and freshman Sarah Strong overwhelmed opponents. UConn women's basketball looked formidable in the earlier rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This group looked like an all-time great team in the Final Four. The Huskies blew out two of the top teams in the country, UCLA and South Carolina, and stood alone at the top in Tampa.

Overall, Fudd and Strong are returning in 2025, which means this group will be one of the favorites. UConn women's basketball officially has that massive target on its back that it is so accustomed to. The Huskies are where they belong in this sport's hierarchy, but many teams will be gunning for the crown next season. And several of the top teams will be looking for revenge.