UConn women’s basketball will welcome four freshmen to the Huskies in 2021, led by number one overall recruit Azzi Fudd. Forward Amari DeBerry and guards Caroline Ducharme and Saylor Poffenbarger round out the Class of 2025. All four members of UConn’s class are ranked in the top 30 by espnW. DeBerry, Fudd and Poffenbarger have all played for USA Basketball and won gold.
Fudd is a 5-11 guard from Arlington, Virginia who currently attends St. John’s College High School. She became the first sophomore to be named Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2019. Fudd, who celebrated her 18th birthday on Wednesday, picked the Huskies over UCLA, Maryland and Louisville. She becomes UConn’s 13th top recruit all-time.
“UConn is UConn, it kind of speaks for itself,” said Fudd. “Coach Auriemma is an amazing coach and so are the rest of the coaches there – an amazing staff. Obviously I have a lot of work to do and I have to prove myself when I get there but I’m hoping for a repeat of four in a row.”
Fudd is also good friends with current UConn freshman Paige Bueckers, who was named Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2020.
“I was really excited,” said Bueckers. “A little emotional but I worked really hard for her to come out here and just know how fun it's going to be and how successful we can be if we work hard.”
Ducharme, who is ranked fifth overall, is a 6-2 guard from Milton, Massachusetts. She was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020.
DeBerry, a 6-5 guard from Williamsville, New York, is ranked 15th overall and 3rd at her position. She won gold at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
Dog House
Poffenbarger, a 6-2 guard from Middletown, Maryland, is ranked 30th overall. She also won gold at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
“I want to get as many good kids in here as I can that I think can help us win national championships,” said Auriemma. “Whether or not that happens or not, that still remains to be seen. Now, having said that, there's a pretty good chance that we'll be pretty good.”
