Sue Bird Weighs Pros and Cons of UConn Star Azzi Fudd’s WNBA Draft Decision

One of the most compelling storylines regarding the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball postseason is UConn Huskies star Azzi Fudd’s looming decision to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft or return for one more college campaign.

Fudd is clearly undecided about her decision. And when asked about whether he thinks Fudd is ready for the WNBA, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said, “Do I think she’s ready? Um, I mean, I’ve always thought to myself that players have to be tremendously confident when they leave here about what the next step for them is.

“And I just want her to make sure that she’s played enough basketball here, done enough things, tested herself enough, that she feels completely 100% ready to go,” he added.

Ultimately, Fudd will likely think long and hard about the pros and cons of each decision. And former UConn Huskies star and WNBA legend Sue Bird helped her with this process by creating her own pros and cons list during a March 6 episode of the A Touch More podcast.

“This is how I would break it down… because of injuries, she didn’t actually play a lot of college games. All of her seasons have essentially been cut short in some way, shape, or form. So is that a reason to stay? Shrug,” Bird said.

“But you could also make the argument that because of injuries, you want to start your professional career sooner,” she added. “That’s just one take. It’s not necessarily mine, but it’s something to think about.

“So staying means you can cash in on all this NIL money,” Bird continued of Fudd. “So money might not dictate this decision, meaning, usually turning pro could mean more money. But if she stays, she enters the WNBA in 2025, aka the new CBA era, aka the new money era.

“But I do think you’d make more money as a pro on and off the court — and you don’t have to go to class,” Bird concluded.

There’s surely a lot for Fudd to consider with this decision.