Fudd Around and Find Out

Episode: From Name to Game: The Azzi Story
Date: April 2, 2026
Guests: Jennifer Azzi (Olympic gold medalist & Hall of Famer), Katie Fudd (former WNBA draft pick & Azzi Fudd’s mom)
Summary By: [Your Name]

Episode Overview

This episode of Fudd Around and Find Out dives into the power of a name—specifically how UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd got hers, inspired by basketball legend Jennifer Azzi. Host Ashanti Plummer and co-host Azzi Fudd welcome Jennifer Azzi and Katie Fudd for a lively, personal conversation about intergenerational impact, women’s basketball legacies, and the realities of raising (and being) top-tier athletes. The episode is equal parts love letter to the women’s basketball community and practical guide for parents and players navigating the modern sports world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Azzi Fudd Got Her Name

(04:02–05:39)

• Katie Fudd’s inspiration: Katie shares a story of admiring Jennifer Azzi on TV as a young player, specifically recalling Jennifer’s grace, character, and sportsmanship at a US national team event.
  • "I just sat there and watched you interact with all these people... the character you displayed... I just knew right then if I ever had a girl, I would name her Azzi." — Katie Fudd (05:09)
• She chose to keep the original spelling for authenticity.
• Naming extended beyond human babies—Jennifer jokes that people even named dogs after her:
  • "It's better than having a dog named after you!" — Jennifer Azzi (07:57)
• Jennifer reflects on the emotional impact, saying it makes her feel part of an extended family.

2. Parenting and Basketball—Legacy and Lessons

(06:44–11:10)

• Katie on Azzi’s early years: "She was awful when she started... I thought she could get a free education out of this, that would be phenomenal." (07:15)
• Both Jennifer and Katie stress letting their children find passion, even outside basketball.
• Jennifer shares her memories of her supportive father and how she, in turn, tries to expose her kids to many interests.

3. Names That Inspire

(11:10–12:02)

• When asked who she’d name a child after, Jennifer says Steph Curry, calling him "one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met... best shooter of all time." (11:17)

4. Extended Naming Impact: Community Connections

(15:27–18:41)

• Katie recounts how another family named their baby “Az” after her daughter’s championship run, reinforcing how legacies can ripple outward.
• Jennifer reflects on her own dad’s influence and the power of basketball to bring people together:
  • "You know, it brings people together. It's a really powerful sport." — Jennifer Azzi (18:11)

5. Women’s Basketball: Then and Now

(20:53–28:14)

• Cultural change: Jennifer, from Tennessee, remembers packed high school state tournaments with 10,000 fans (20:43), then feeling isolated at Stanford before they built a fan base.
• Explains how the three-point line changed the game and her coach Tara VanDerveer’s pivotal strategy: "Hey, three is worth more than two... my teammates and I lived in the gym." — Jennifer Azzi (21:37)
• Katie and Jennifer discuss the explosion in visibility for women’s basketball recruits now—social media, televised games, and role models for boys and girls.

6. Athletic Development: What’s New, What’s True

(24:46–28:14)

• Jennifer and Katie agree that better training science, access to knowledge, and role models have raised the bar.
• "You have access to everything... you can watch what the best athletes do... and you can learn." — Jennifer Azzi (25:53)
• The fundamentals haven’t changed: discipline, repetition, and mastering the basics.

7. Raising and Coaching Elite Athletes—The Real Talk

(31:41–40:05)

• Consistent effort trumps intensity. Katie’s parenting motto: “Consistent effort over time... not eight hours one day and nothing for the next two weeks.” (31:47)
• She shares her rule: if a child commits to an activity, parents should hold them accountable—like with schoolwork—and gently check in about changing interests.
• Jennifer and Katie share their approaches to developing habits without burning kids out.
• Both stress the importance of making basketball (or any pursuit) the child’s choice and encouraging consistent, small daily practice rather than rare, all-out effort:
  • "If you spend 10 minutes a day, six days a week... that's 52 hours a year. And you can't tell me you don't have 10 minutes!" — Katie Fudd (36:17)
• Both acknowledge that even star athletes aren’t always excited to practice:
  • "I don't know that there's a day that I'm like, yes, I can't wait to go for my run. It's just like, I know if I do it, what my day is going to look like." — Jennifer Azzi (39:48)
• Cultivating discipline and resilience in all areas of life.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the power of names and impact:
  "When she committed to UConn, I had so many people texting me as if she's my daughter... it's pretty cool to think about what this really kind of extended family feels like." — Jennifer Azzi (17:21)

• Visibility matters:
  "Now you've got all the players' jerseys out there and you see little boys wearing women's jerseys, which to me is a huge thing... If we teach boys at a young age to respect female athletes, they're not going to grow up to be men that tweet about getting in the kitchen." — Katie Fudd (25:17)

• Discipline over motivation:
  "Discipline: Doing what you need to do, not what you want to do." — Katie Fudd (40:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Azzi's Naming Story: 04:02–05:47
• Early Parenting and Coaching Experiences: 06:44–11:10
• Who Would You Name Your Kid After? 11:10–12:02
• The Baby Azzi Story: 15:27–18:41
• Basketball in Tennessee & Cultural Shifts: 20:43–22:33
• Three-Point Line Era: 21:37–23:19
• Visibility & Modern Recruiting: 24:47–25:53
• Parenting and Athlete Development Advice: 31:41–40:05

Overall Tone & Energy

Warm, encouraging, and candid—both guests and hosts blend funny, self-deprecating parenting stories with honest professional advice and plenty of love for women’s basketball culture past, present, and future.

Takeaways

• Raising confident athletes (especially girls) is about creating an environment of respect, discipline, and genuine love for the game.
• Names and legacies matter—who we name things and people after can ripple far beyond what we imagine.
• Modern women athletes benefit from unprecedented visibility, but the building blocks of greatness remain: work ethic, consistency, and a supportive community.