STORRS – After Azzi Fudd’s breakthrough performance against No. 18 Ole Miss in the Baha Mar women’s championship, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is ready to see the star redshirt junior back in the starting lineup.

Fudd scored 18 points and shot 8 of 11 in the Huskies’ 73-60 victory over the Rebels, marking her best offensive performance in two years in just her third game since suffering a torn ACL and meniscus last season. The team is still taking precautions with Fudd’s workload – Auriemma had her sit out the final 20 minutes of practice on Sunday – but she has played increasing minutes in each of her first three games, including a season-high 27 against Ole Miss. No. 2. UConn hosts Holy Cross at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday (7 p.m., SNY). Auriemma suggested Fudd could make her first start since November 12, 2023.

“I was hoping we would see someone in the Bahamas who would re-acclimate reasonably easily…It still takes time to get into game shape, but I love what I saw,” Auriemma said. “I don’t think anyone will say, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe Azzi is in the starting line-up, what’s wrong with him?’ So yeah, I think that’s a good assumption.”

Ashlynn Shade started the first six games for the Huskies, averaging seven points, 2.2 rebounds and two steals, and the sophomore guard will take Fudd’s place in the first bench rotation when Fudd returns to a starting spot. Shade only played a season-low 16 minutes in the Ole Miss game, but was one of the Huskies’ most consistent defenders and has plenty of potential as a scorer: She shot over 40% from the field in four of six games, including one impressive one 7 of 10 for 15 points against USF on November 10th.

“I think it’s great that Azzi is back. “I’m just so happy for her that she’s finally reached the moment where she can get back on the court and do what she loves,” Shade said. “Now it’s a good opportunity for me to watch her and learn even more from her now that she’s finally back and 100%… As an underclassman for her, my goal is to just learn and try anything to accept.”

Shade will join sophomore KK Arnold and redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy as sparks off the bench, and Auriemma noted that all three are talented enough to start in different circumstances. Shade and Arnold each started 33 games as freshmen in the 2023-24 season, and El Alfy is averaging 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds while playing less than 16 minutes per game in her first collegiate season.

“KK’s assist-to-turnover ratio is fantastic, so she did a great job of making the right play, and Ash just does Ash things. You just release her and let’s see what she does,” Auriemma said. “You have two guys that started over 30 games for us last year and played a big role in us getting to the Final Four, theoretically leading that second unit…Now that Azzi is back, we have something , that …” We didn’t have that at any point last year: the ability to change the look of games. So I’m excited to see what else will happen in the next few weeks.”

Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd once again star as the backcourt duo, powering UConn women’s basketball to the Baha Mar Championship

Holy Cross is not a threatening opponent for No. 2 UConn, with losses already against Quinnipiac, Vermont and Boston College. But a home game against the Crusaders gives Auriemma another opportunity to experiment with his newfound strength before the Huskies begin a brutal schedule with four top-25 opponents in December. The Huskies currently have eight players averaging at least 11 minutes per game after spending most of last season with just six in the regular rotation, and the team has 10 players available since Fudd’s return for the first time since November 2023 .

“With players available now, it’s not easy to find the right combinations,” Auriemma said. “As a coaching staff, we kind of made the decision that we’re going to go to that second unit as much as possible because I think we have a second unit that is technically starters… We have guys that are going to be a lot different than other people’s secondary units. So it’s a great luxury, but it does come with some headaches.”

How to watch UConn women’s basketball vs. Holy Cross

Website: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs

Time: 7 p.m

Series record: UConn leads 20-2

Last meeting: 77-37 UConn, November 13, 2011 in Storrs

TV: SNY

Streaming: SNY.tv, FOXsports.com

Radio: UConn Sports Network on Fox Sports 97.9