UConn women's basketball sophomore Azzi Fudd is expected to miss three to six weeks with a right knee injury she suffered in the first quarter of the Huskies' loss to Notre Dame on Sunday, UConn announced Tuesday.
Fudd underwent evaluation on Monday, and an MRI confirmed the injury.
Fudd exited the game after a teammate fell on her right knee, leaving briefly for the locker room before reentering the game for four minutes. She did not play in the second half, which coach Geno Auriemma said at the time was out of precaution.
Fudd -- who was a national player of the year contender averaging 24.0 points per game entering the Huskies' showdown -- has had a history of bad injury luck: She tore her MCL and ACL in her right knee in April 2019, when she was still in high school. During her first season with UConn, a foot injury sidelined her for 11 games through December and January.
UConn is already without 2020-21 national player of the year Paige Bueckers (ACL) for the season, as well as freshman Ice Brady (dislocated patella). Graduate student Dorka Juhász appears to be expected back soon but has missed the past five games with a broken thumb.
Auriemma knows his shorthanded Huskies are facing some real adversity, but they're not about to wave the white flag this early in the season.
"You don't win national championships or lose national championships Dec. 4," Auriemma said Sunday. "But you do get to find out what it is that can help you down the road win one, or it can prevent you from winning one down the road."
Then-No. 3 UConn was 6-0 entering the contest Sunday before Fudd went down, ultimately losing to then-No. 7 Notre Dame in South Bend 74-60. The Huskies fell to No. 6 in the latest AP poll and face Princeton, No. 20 Maryland and Florida State before getting into conference play.
After that, UConn has two nonconference games remaining in the new year: Jan. 26 at Tennessee and Feb. 5 versus No. 1 and defending champion South Carolina in Connecticut. Should Fudd's recovery timeline remain at three to six weeks, she could be back in the fold for those matchups.