Podcast Summary: Fudd Around and Find Out

Episode: Meet Evil Azzi w/ Gabby Williams
Date: November 28, 2025
Host: Azzi Fudd (with co-host Ashanti Plummer)
Guest: Gabby Williams

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, UConn star Azzi Fudd and co-host Ashanti Plummer welcome Gabby Williams—UConn legend, WNBA player, and French national team member—for a wide-ranging conversation. Together, they delve into Gabby’s journey from multi-sport beginnings to pro basketball stardom, her experiences navigating injury comebacks, the origins of her “Evil Azzi” persona, and her passions outside basketball—including anime, Beyblade battles, and DJing. The episode features illuminating moments on team culture at UConn and the WNBA, lots of laughter, and a fun “Thanksgiving This or That” game to round things out.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Draft Lottery Experience & Style (02:26–04:09)

• Gabby recounts representing her team at the WNBA Draft Lottery in LA while rehabbing a knee injury.
  • On her lottery outfit: “A friend of mine, Sasha Colby, just told me to come over. I have 5 million things you can wear.” (03:31, Gabby Williams)
• Gabby credits Sasha Colby for styling her fit, says she usually does her own makeup, and even dropped a blush tip she learned from a pro.

2. WNBA Draft Lottery & Class Analysis (04:43–05:51)

• The group discusses the top three draft picks—Dallas, Minnesota, Seattle—and the prevalence of UConn players in the league.
• Gabby on this year’s draft class: “This draft class is so talented... I think all the lottery picks, everyone’s going to kind of be a steal.” (05:20, Gabby Williams)

3. Offseason & Wellness (06:00–07:20)

• Gabby is savoring her first true offseason in three years, focusing on physical and mental well-being.
  • “I really just needed it health wise. And this is kind of, like, the best physically I've felt in a really long time.” (06:00, Gabby Williams)

4. Celebrity Encounters (07:20–08:22)

• Gabby recently had an “incredible” encounter with Adam Sandler, who invited her backstage and played ball with her and Jamal Crawford.
  • “He’s even sweeter and nicer than you can imagine.” (07:26, Gabby Williams)

5. The ‘Evil Azzi’ Social Media Phenomenon (08:36–09:36)

• Social media fans have dubbed Gabby “Evil Azzi” (in contrast to AZ’s public image).
  • “I love it. I like being the evil one, too.” (08:49, Gabby Williams)
• The nickname’s origins trace back to a UConn manager, and the group shares laughs over the creativity of fans.

6. Multi-Sport Upbringings & Mentality (09:37–12:09)

• Gabby’s background as a high jumper and heptathlete fostered self-motivation and resilience:
  • “Your biggest competitor is kind of yourself... that translated to the basketball side of things.” (09:51, Gabby Williams)
• Azzi and Gabby reminisce about how track and field shaped their appreciation for basketball as a team sport.

7. Overcoming Injury (12:09–13:19)

• Gabby details her mental approach to overcoming an ACL tear in high school:
  • “That became my new competition... get 2 degrees better today, or get a little bit stronger today.” (12:16, Gabby Williams)
• Injury forced her to learn about body maintenance and recovery at a young age, which benefited her pro career.

8. Choosing UConn: Recruitment Process (13:19–14:38)

• Gabby discusses her desire to compete in both track and basketball in college; UConn’s Coach Geno Auriemma was surprisingly supportive of her ambitions.
  • “He was cool with it, but I think he was very, very happy when I went the basketball-only route.” (14:09, Gabby Williams)

9. Defensive Mindset and Earning Playing Time (14:50–16:06)

• Gabby became WBCA Defensive Player of the Year at UConn by focusing on defense and rebounding:
  • “I was more athletic than people [in high school]… but I wasn’t really focused on defense. At UConn, I was like, ‘Okay, this is actually what’s going to get me playing time.’” (15:24, Gabby Williams)

10. Team Culture & Bench Energy at UConn (16:29–18:05)

• Gabby fondly recalls the “special” team-first mentality at UConn, especially during her triple-double game:
  • “You’re not at all focused on individual accolades... it’s just not important at all when you’re there.” (17:56, Gabby Williams)
  • “The thing I miss most... is the energy and excitement from your teammates.” (17:56, Gabby Williams)

11. Transition from Bench to Leader (18:11–19:26)

• Gabby reflects on her progression from sixth player of the year to team leader, describing UConn as a “pressure cooker” that ultimately built her confidence.

12. Playing with UConn Greats (22:33–23:54)

• On learning from all-time UConn talents like Stewie, Lou, and Fee:
  • “Watching how they were equally just as great teammates... was huge for me.” (22:49, Gabby Williams)

13. Coach Geno Stories & Team Bonding (24:16–26:46)

• Gabby shares a memorable drill gone wrong where she misread Coach’s intent mid-practice, leading to team-wide laughter and further insight into Geno Auriemma’s tough love coaching style.

14. UConn’s “Bubble” Mentality and Pro Preparation (27:10–29:09)

• Gabby offers advice to Azzi about transitioning to the WNBA:
  • "Keep those [UConn habits] as long as you possibly can, because they do make a huge difference." (27:10, Gabby Williams)
  • She notes the culture shock of entering a less disciplined pro basketball environment and recommends bringing some UConn standards to pro teams.

15. WNBA Draft, Early Pro Experience (29:20–34:37)

• Gabby describes the surreal process of going from a tough tournament loss to the WNBA draft and her "Welcome to the W" moment—being lit up by Maya Moore (“she must have had 12 highlights and they were all on me”).
• She gives advice to Azzi on not letting losing culture in the WNBA affect her mindset—“don’t let that mindset contaminate you.” (32:20, Gabby Williams)

16. National Teams: Choosing France Over USA (37:36–39:51)

• Gabby explains how she came to play for the French national team via her heritage, language skills, and pro career in Europe. It took convincing the French federation of her European credentials.

• Missing the 2021 WNBA season for the Olympics:

  • “Playing for your national team is just different than pro… It’s a legacy you kind of just want to leave and an opportunity to play in the Olympics.” (40:22, Gabby Williams)

17. Being an All-Star & Overseas Play (41:06–44:03)

• Gabby reflects on her “unexpected” first All-Star selection and her readiness to head back to the Turkish league, emphasizing the importance of rest and excitement for the upcoming season.

18. Fun Q&A, Hobbies & Personality (44:03–56:12)

• The hosts field several fan questions and some from players like Courtney Williams (“Gabby, why you so fine, girl?” (44:31)), leading to lots of playful banter.

• Gabby reveals her adult “free will” lets her now buy Beyblades, DJ controllers, and embrace her passions.

  • On her hobbies: “Sometimes I realize I have adult money and free will.” (45:20, Gabby Williams)

• Shares origin stories for her love of anime and her many related tattoos, campaigns for “DJ Pinky” as her potential DJ name, and reminiscences about watching shows like “YuGiOh,” “Naruto,” and “Spirited Away.”

• Tattoo tales: Gabby got her first in a friend’s kitchen at 14 and wore kinesio tape at UConn to cover it up, leading the Fudd family to think she had a chronic shoulder injury.

• Cat smuggling: Gabby recounts successfully hiding her pet cat from Coach CD for her entire senior year.

  • “To this day... I’m really still petrified and haven’t told her.” (54:46, Gabby Williams)

• Fashion talk: Her favorite fit was styled by her niece, a fun family moment that also made it to team group chats.

• Jorts controversy: Gabby jokes about fans blaming her Bermuda shorts for a Storm losing streak.

  • “Ruined a lot of my outfits that I had ready for this year. So jokes on y’all. Y’all missed out on a lot of good looks.” (57:58, Gabby Williams)

19. What The Fudd of the Week (61:17–62:50)

• Azzi gets the spotlight for dropping the first 30+ point game of the UConn season.

  • Gabby’s praise: “It is the most efficient 31 in college basketball right now, which I really respect.” (61:36, Gabby Williams)

• Sarah Strong’s 20-rebound game also draws astonished shouts from the hosts.

20. Thanksgiving “This or That” Game (63:00–67:19)

• Fun rapid-fire preferences: turkey vs. ham, mashed for Gabby vs. sweet potato for Azzi, mac & cheese all around, corn bread vs. dinner rolls, hosting vs. visiting, and comfy vs. dressed up.
  • Gabby shares being vegan/vegetarian is much easier in the US and France than in Turkey.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On UConn’s uniqueness:

  • “Coach reminds us all the time that we are in a bubble here. And no other program in college, outside of college, is like this.” (28:46, Azzi Fudd)

• On being ‘Evil Azzi’:

  • “I like being the evil one, too.” (08:49, Gabby Williams)

• On pro basketball culture shock:

  • “Don’t let [losing] mindset contaminate you... it can be very easy to just fall into that.” (32:20, Gabby Williams)

• On fully embracing adulthood:

  • “Sometimes I realize I have adult money and free will. That was a big one.” (45:20, Gabby Williams)

• On team camaraderie:

  • “The thing I remember the most is just at the bench going crazy... That’s the thing I miss the most about playing for UConn.” (17:56, Gabby Williams)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Draft lottery & style: 02:26–04:09
• WNBA draft class discussion: 04:43–05:51
• Off-season reflections: 06:00–07:20
• Meeting Adam Sandler: 07:20–08:22
• ‘Evil Azzi’ internet meme: 08:36–09:36
• Multi-sport athlete upbringing: 09:37–12:09
• Overcoming injury: 12:09–13:19
• Choosing UConn & coach flexibility: 13:19–14:38
• Defensive mentality: 14:50–16:06
• UConn culture & bench energy: 16:29–18:05
• From sixth player to leader: 18:11–19:26
• Playing with UConn greats: 22:33–23:54
• Coach Geno stories: 24:16–26:46
• Transition and advice for Azzi: 27:10–29:09
• WNBA draft & early career: 29:20–34:37
• National team choices: 37:36–39:51
• All-Star and international play: 41:06–44:03
• Fun Q&A, hobbies, tattoos: 44:03–56:12
• What the Fudd of the Week: 61:17–62:50
• Thanksgiving game: 63:00–67:19

Tone and Style

The conversation is friendly, humorous, and unfiltered. Both hosts and Gabby blend playful teasing with real talk about the pressures and culture of elite women’s basketball. Genuine camaraderie, references to team in-jokes, pop culture, and open reflections on struggle and success make the episode feel like catching up with friends behind the scenes.

For New Listeners

This episode showcases not just Gabby Williams’ athletic achievements, but also the behind-the-scenes realities and culture of UConn basketball, the grind of a basketball career, and the personalities that make women’s sports so compelling. Passion for both the game and life outside it shines through, and Gabby’s wide range of interests makes her one of the most relatable, fun-loving guests yet.