• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Azzi Fudd Staying at UConn Has Big-Money Implications

The Huskies guard will make more money in both college and the pros by playing another year.

Azzi Fudd
Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

UConn guard Azzi Fudd said Tuesday she will play another year in college and not declare for next month’s WNBA draft.

Fudd is following in the footsteps of her teammate Paige Bueckers. She arrived in Storrs, missed a season due to ACL injury, and announced her decision to stay for one more at UConn all one season after Bueckers did.

The decision makes basketball sense. Fudd spent last offseason rehabbing her torn ACL, and the quick turnaround from college to the WNBA would’ve meant a short offseason.

But staying another year at UConn also has huge financial implications for Fudd, both on the college and pro side.

Soon after the excitement of March Madness wraps, college sports could have another monumental moment. The final approval hearing for the House v. NCAA settlement is April 7, which could open revenue sharing to college athletes as soon as next season. Division I schools would be allowed to pay up to $20.5 million every year to all their athletes, and at a school like UConn where women’s basketball has excelled for decades, the payout for one of its star players could be handsome.

A year ago, when Caitlin Clark chose the WNBA over another year at Iowa, many pundits wondered whether she was giving up money she could’ve made from her popularity and NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals in college. But Fudd will likely get another college-centric revenue opportunity that wasn’t even available to Clark. She could continue with her NIL deals—which have included Curry Brand, DoorDash, Buick, and more during her time at UConn—and make thousands of dollars directly from her school.

Fudd is also executing sound financial planning for her entry into the WNBA. The league is currently in talks with its players’ association to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the 2025 season, and if the league and players are able to agree on a new deal, the influx of media-rights money—an 11-year, $2.2-billion deal kicks in next year—would presumably cause player salaries to skyrocket. Under the current CBA, the maximum rookie salary for next season is a 4-year deal paying $78,831 in the first year, and Fudd is not projected to be the No. 1 pick.

It’s unclear how the CBA will impact pre-2026 rookie contracts for players like Clark or Bueckers; players could seek raises for those currently under contract as part of a new labor deal. Nearly every WNBA veteran with the leverage to do so has negotiated a contract that expires after 2025, putting the 2025 and 2026 rookie classes in a unique position.

On top of the new media revenue, 2026 will also see the entrance of two new teams in Toronto and Portland. The expansion teams will raise the number of roster spots, which will help ease the cutthroat reality of professional women’s basketball where many draft picks and other skilled players can’t make it past training camp. The change will make it easier for rookies—even highly projected ones like Fudd—to secure both roster spots and playing time. (The flip side is that the money has to be spread among more players than ever before, but the explosion in media money is more than enough to outpace the additional roster spots.) 

In the meantime, Fudd and Bueckers still have a season to finish. On Saturday, No. 2 seed UConn will play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.

Massachusetts Sues Kalshi To Block Sports Prediction Markets

A lawsuit claims the company’s offerings are indistinguishable from traditional sports bets.

FanDuel, Jaguars Reach $5M Deal Over Employee Theft

A Jaguars employee stole $20 million and gambled much of it with FanDuel.
Michelle Wu

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive
September 9, 2025

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls place kicker Nico Gramatica (7), South Florida Bulls long snapper Turner McLaughlin (48) and teammates celebrate after a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
September 8, 2025

USF Is the Newest Financial Underdog in the AP Top 25

USF’s athletic department brings in half the amount Florida does.
September 7, 2025

Oklahoma-Michigan Was a Battle of Dueling QB NIL Philosophies

Bryce Underwood got into a heated exchange with his teammate.