UConn star Azzi Fudd received a timely assist from Stephen Curry during knee rehab
When Azzi Fudd went down with a knee injury 16 months ago and required surgery, her parents immediately wondered how they would navigate another grueling rehab process.
That's when Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry came in and dished out a most important assist: He and his team of trainers and medical professionals offered to help lead the effort to get the Connecticut guard healthy and back on the court after she tore her right anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus.
They came up with a precise plan, down to the specific milestones she would need to meet each step of the way, and collaborated with the UConn training staff to get her through those tests.
'I was cast to put together a really good group of people,' said Carl Bergstrom, Curry's director of performance. 'Doing a virtual or distant rehab is not without its challenges, so with the resources that were allocated and just the network that we have, I was able to take the time and really bring in who I thought were some of the best world leaders in ACL rehab that were in my network in North America.'
Tim and Katie Fudd aren't sure how they would have supported their daughter without the SC30 team. Fudd partnered with Curry's off-court organization more than three years ago and it paid for her cross-country trips to see top doctors.
'When we were kind of throwing around ideas about how to handle it and what we were going to do to help her get back to the best version of herself, we just didn't know what to do, and then all of a sudden we got information that Stephen was stepping up and was going to provide some resources for her to have rehab for the next 12 months,' Tim said.
'It was jaw-dropping No. 1, and No. 2, when you got involved with the whole process, and to see how in depth everything was in terms of her workouts and how meticulous the therapists and trainers that she worked with were, we were blown away by it.'
Fudd formally joined Curry's SC30 brand in November 2021 to build her career through a name, image and likeness contract. Still, she had little idea how far the support would reach.
'Not even just from this rehab standpoint, Steph has been such an amazing resource,' Fudd said. 'It kind of just goes to show the kind of person he is. ... Just him being so open to sharing his resources from the beginning has been incredible, but during this rehab process being with SC30 I can't imagine what this process would have been like if I wasn't with Steph and he wasn't so caring and sharing and giving.'
Fudd returned for UConn in November and the graduate student guard is gearing up for what could be her final NCAA Tournament run with the second-seeded Huskies, who face Arkansas State on Saturday.
In 2018, Fudd was one of the first women to attend Curry's elite camp, and that's when they initially connected.
'She's part of the family and when we signed her out of high school it was part of providing resources off the court that could help her figure out the business of basketball before she really got going, be a support for her and her family,' Curry said. 'Injuries happen. It was just trying to make sure she had the best chance to get back. So far, so good.'
As Fudd sat out the 2023-24 season, she made several trips to Vancouver and Calgary to work with medical experts like Bergstrom, whom they called the 'quarterback' of her recovery.
That support network named their group chat 'Team Azzi,' and Curry's folks worked closely with the UConn athletic training staff so everybody stayed on the same page.
'They made sure I was always on track and always ready to advance to the next stage and not rushing and making sure I wasn't overcompensating in any other areas,' Fudd said. 'They made sure my recovery process was very planned and strategic. They were amazing.'
Fudd was injured in practice on Nov. 14, 2023, and had surgery on Dec. 1 that year.
She is grateful to every person who played a key role in her comeback, saying, 'I definitely wouldn't be where I am now."
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Janie Mccauley, The Associated Press
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