MOMENT TO MOMENT

CLASS OF 2021 SUPERSTAR AZZI FUDD HAS BATTLED COUNTLESS OBSTACLES, INCLUDING MAJOR KNEE SURGERY, OVER THE PAST YEAR. AS SHE RETURNS TO THE SPORT SHE LOVES, SHE’S FILLED WITH A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE GAME AND LIVING LIFE IN A PANDEMIC.

- RYNE NELSON

AZZI FUDD IS driving home with her family through the endless cornfields of the Midwest in early July. Her body aches after having played six games in three days, but the pain is secondary to the joy of having played her first organized basketball game in four months.

As the coronavirus pandemic spread across America, seasons were prematurely ended, gyms were closed and team practices became a thing of the past. Basketball took a back seat as the country attempted to contain the deadly virus.

Considered the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 class, Azzi (pronounced A-Zee) resolved to make the most of the situation. Her parents—former hoopers themselves—spray painted a three-point line on the road outside of their house. They located safe places for outdoor workouts. They got more training equipment for their home.

“We were like, All right, we have to find the positive out of this, so what do we need to work on?” Fudd says. “Obviously, you can’t work on too many things. You need to find a few things you want to really focus and hone in on.”