Injury updates: Azzi Fudd likely out vs. Notre Dame with minor knee sprain

Even though Fudd will likely miss at least a week, she avoided a more serious injury.

Azzi Fudd suffered a minor knee sprain in UConn’s win over Louisville on Saturday that will keep her out at least a week, Geno Auriemma revealed on Tuesday.

“Probably out this week but after that, day to day,” he said.

That means the Huskies will be without Fudd at No. 8 Notre Dame on Thursday. From there, the schedule features Georgetown on Sunday, Dec. 15 followed by Iowa State on Wednesday, Dec. 18 and USC on Saturday, Dec. 21.

“Nobody wants to miss games but given the alternative, I think she’s pretty pleased,” Auriemma said.

Fudd awkwardly collided with a defender against Louisville and immediately grabbed at her right knee — the same one that she’s torn her ACL in twice. She briefly stayed in the game and even hit a 3-pointer but checked out and went straight into the locker room. Fudd eventually returned to the bench but didn’t go back in the game.

“I sat down next to her on the bench and I told her, ‘This is not gonna go the way it’s gone in the past,’” Auriemma said. “We just needed to inject some positive thinking there.”

Prior to the injury, Fudd had played in five straight games since returning from a torn ACL that wiped out nearly her entire 2023-24 campaign. She put up 18 points twice in her last three contests.

UConn will now have to take on Notre Dame — which features one of the best backcourts in the nation with Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron — sans Fudd. Ashlynn Shade, who started the first six games games before being replaced by Fudd, should take her spot in the lineup.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Ayanna Patterson may need surgery on a left shoulder injury. If she does go under the knife, she’ll be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign — which would be her second-straight season lost to injury.

“That decision is going to be made soon,” he said. “If [the surgery] does happen, it’s going to happen soon. We just don’t have a date.”

Patterson missed all of last season with a knee problem that eventually required surgery. As she worked her way back from that during the preseason, she picked up a shoulder injury in practice that further delayed her progress. Patterson appeared to be nearing a return and even warmed up with the team before its win over Oregon State, only to suffer a setback the next day in The Bahamas.

“Kid just can’t catch a break,” Auriemma said.

As for Aubrey Griffin, she continues to make steady progress back from a torn ACL.

“Playing a lot of simulated games, doing more and more every day in practice,” Auriemma said. “Now it’s more of how her body responds the day after practice. As that gets better and better and better all the time, then obviously we’ll be closer.”

Griffin has not yet played this season but has a personal goal of being back before January. Auriemma didn’t want to commit to that same timeframe himself, though.

“That’s what she told me, so I’m just going by what she says,” he said. “Whether there’s any truth to that, I don’t know. I take everything my players say with a grain of salt.

Meanwhile, the coach didn’t have much of an update on Caroline Ducharme, who last played in game action on Nov. 19, 2023 due to recurring head issues. She hadn’t practiced with contact when Auriemma last provided an update and there’s no word on whether that’s changed since.

“Caroline is doing all right. It’s just one of those, ‘How are you today?’ ‘Great.’ ‘How are you today?’ ‘Eh.’ Tomorrow, ‘How are you?’ ‘Pretty good.’ ‘How are you the next day?’ Great.’ The next day? ‘Eh.’ So we just kind of take a day-by-day.”

Ducharme is still trying to return, though that may ultimately be out of her control.

“I know she wants to play so bad,” Auriemma said. “She gets so pissed when we take her off the court.”