Fudd Around and Find Out

Episode: Pie, Practice & A FAFO Pop Quiz
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Azzi Fudd with Ashanti Plummer

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd and co-host Ashanti Plummer catch up on all things holidays, basketball, school, and life on and off the court. The conversation blends personal stories about Thanksgiving and team traditions with candid insight into Azzi’s academic and athletic challenges during her final year at UConn. The episode’s highlight is a pop quiz/trivia game that shows Azzi’s fun side, all while giving listeners an insider’s look at balancing college, sports, and the pressure of draft season.

Holiday Catch-Up and Traditions

(02:56 – 13:50)

Thanksgiving Recap

• Azzi: Shares how she spent Thanksgiving at teammate Sarah Strong's mom’s house in Boston.

  “It was me, KK, Sarah, Ice. It was chill…We ate, packed to-go boxes, and Sarah was like, alright, see ya. And we left.” (03:29)

• First-Time Sweet Potato Pie: Azzi tries homemade sweet potato pie for the first time.

  “I'm working on my black side, okay? It took me 23 years to hear it.” (04:29)

• Ashanti expresses disbelief and excitement over Azzi’s first taste, mentioning family sweet treat traditions and suggesting a future “healthy sweet treat tour.” (05:13)

Favorite Dishes

• Ashanti: Baked macaroni and cheese – a cherished family recipe.
• Azzi: Sweet potato and green bean casseroles, but this year she was excited for greens.

Team Holiday Vibes

• Usually, the team is on the road during holidays (hotel/restaurant food), but this year, everyone found a home-cooked meal.

  “It was really nice that everyone got some home-cooked food and got to be with people they love.” (07:18)

Academic Balance

• Azzi’s in grad school, juggling finals (lots of group projects and a particularly grueling 19-page open-note exam):

  “One of the guys in my class is like, professor, this reminds me of the exam I had to take when I was working to get my PhD…That's a sign that this is not okay. Yeah, help. Not.” (08:05)

Academic Support

• Praise for academic advisor Ellen:

  “If I have any tips…make sure you’re on your academic advisor’s good side, because...she's helping you communicate with your professors and making sure you've got everything under control.” (09:44)

Christmas Traditions

• Team Traditions: Azzi proposes organizing Secret Santa, plans to send it in the group chat to make it happen.

  “I think I might just send it in the group chat and be like, hey, we're doing this.” (10:49)

• Favorite Christmas Movies: “Elf and the Grinch.” (11:27)
• Ashanti’s Team Traditions: One big meal together if not home for holidays, cooked by seniors or best cook on the team. “And matching pajamas. So cute. Love it.” (12:40)

Internship & Looking Ahead

(14:39 – 16:39)

Madison Reed Internship

• Azzi is excited to intern (remotely) with Madison Reed, hoping to observe business in action and apply her studies.

  “I've never done this before. They've never done this before…I'm excited just to learn, to be a sponge and see what happens.” (15:03)

• Hopes she may get to color someone’s hair—offers to try on a wig with Ashanti or even color producer Grace’s hair for fun. (16:22–16:53)

On The Court: Basketball Talk

(21:10 – 27:39)

Undefeated Streak & Team Mentality

• Azzi says the team focuses on improvement, not pressure to maintain a streak:

  “We are humbled every day in practice…so I feel like our focus is really just on getting better and not like, oh my gosh, we're undefeated.” (22:31)

• Practice and game prep is steady no matter the opponent; only in final days do they adapt anything specific.

  “Our preparation from game to game isn’t that different…As long as we're taking care of ourselves, we know we're in good shape.” (24:12)

Leadership Growth

• Azzi’s working on being a more vocal leader:

  “Still have a lot of area of growth or a lot of growth in that area. I would say it's gotten better.” (25:29)

• Ashanti sees Azzi’s confidence rise, in media and on the court.

  “I feel like I've noticed you'd be a lot more confident in general…just I know that you wanted to work on these things, and I'm like, seeing it in real time.” (25:39)

Mock Drafts & Social Media

• Azzi isn’t paying attention to rankings or mock drafts, staying off social media to focus on the present.

  “I don't think I've been on Instagram in like, a month…It's weird to think, like, just because I don't see it doesn't mean I don't know what's happening.” (26:52–27:39)

Memorable Team Moments

(27:54 – 30:23)

Sue Bird’s Jersey Retirement

• Azzi experienced the tribute, reflecting on Sue as a role model:

  “Sue's amazing. She's an amazing player, but amazing person and amazing role model for all of us. Still is.” (28:12)

• The team played after the ceremony and scored 100 points, to honor Sue. (28:45)
• Cute moment where Sue asks her niece if she’s there to see Sue or Azzi:

  “Her niece was so sweet. So I got to send a jersey for her after, and I told her she's got to come back to more games.” (30:09)

Training and Viral Moments

(30:23 – 34:31)

Training Focus

• Azzi jokes about being in a “layup slump”:

  “I’m currently in a layup slump, so this week I’ll be working on my finishing package. You got any tips for me?” (30:47–31:23)

Social Media Virality

• Ashanti reads viral tweets about Azzi’s physical play:
  • “Ooh, to be run over by Azzi Fudd. Me personally, I’d be honored.” (32:31)
  • “Azzi Fudd is going to be able to hold her own in a dub.”
• Azzi jokes back: “I didn’t mean to like push her. She’s just in my way.” (34:24)

Fun & Games: “What the FUD” and FAFO Pop Quiz

(38:41 – 54:50)

What the FUD of the Week

• Ashanti reveals the maker of the famous sweet potato pies is Patti LaBelle:

  “I remembered who makes the sweet potato pies. It was Patti LaBelle. Patti La Patty. She put her soul in that pie.” (38:41)

Coach “No-Look” Moment

• Ashanti and Azzi discuss a hilarious practice sequence:

  “It was Kelis and coach playing one on one and Coach making that like, no looker backwards…just flick the ball up and it went in shot.” (40:10)

Trivia Game (“Jeopardy” Style Pop Quiz)

Grace, the producer, hosts a special trivia game with three categories:

• UConn Cinematic Universe (past UConn players)
• UConn Undefeated (undefeated streaks & stats)
• Fudd Around and Find Out (Azzi’s own stats)

Highlights and Quotes:

• Friendly (sometimes incorrect!) competition between Azzi and Ashanti over facts about UConn, WNBA legends, and Azzi’s stats.
• Azzi succeeds in several categories but forgets some personal stats:

  “[Ashanti:] The answer is 268. [Azzi:] Geez, girl, almost had 269.” (51:17)

• Banter throughout:

  “[Azzi:] You're going home a big loser today. [Ashanti:] Not really because every day I'm alive. Gotta change the win.” (54:46–54:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Holiday Traditions:
  “I'm gonna try to play Secret Santa with the team this year. Actually, I'm not sure if I'm even gonna like bring it up as like an option. I think I might just send it in the group chat…” — Azzi (10:49)

• On Balancing Grad School and Basketball:
  “My classes are online, so it's a open note final, but it's 19 pages of questions with, like, case studies and, like, different websites and articles to read. And I'm like, 19?!” — Azzi (08:05)

• On Team Focus vs. Pressure:
  “Our focus is really just on getting better and not like, oh my gosh, we're undefeated. Like, that's not, that's not worried about.” — Azzi (22:31)

• On Leadership Growth:
  “Still have a lot of area of growth or a lot of growth in that area…I would say it’s gotten better.” — Azzi (25:29)

• On Being Viral for Physical Play:
  “I didn’t mean to like push her. She’s just in my way.” — Azzi (34:24)

• On Fun and Games:
  “I lost this game. I was pretty bad at this.” — Azzi, after the trivia game (54:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Thanksgiving Recap: 03:29–05:13
• Academic Life: 08:05–09:44
• Holiday Team Traditions: 10:49–12:44
• Madison Reed Internship: 14:39–16:39
• Undefeated Streak & Team Mentality: 21:10–23:18
• On Leadership: 25:29–26:44
• Sue Bird’s Jersey Retirement: 27:54–30:23
• Training & Virality: 30:47–34:24
• Trivia Game Introduction: 40:02–41:42
• Trivia & Banter: 41:42–54:50

Tone and Style

Azzi and Ashanti keep the conversation honest, funny, and full of authenticity—mixing self-deprecating jokes, frank confessions, and supportive hype-woman energy. Both aren’t afraid to rib each other about food, basketball trivia, or viral moments, but always in a spirit of teamwork and sisterhood.