Last month, college basketball player Azzi Fudd led the University of Connecticut Huskies to victory in the NCAA women’s championship game (against the South Carolina Gamecocks). After the win, Azzi (pronounced ay-zee) was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Where did Azzi’s unique first name come from?
Her mother, Katie Smrcka-Duffy, had also played basketball in college. (She was drafted into the WNBA in 2001, in fact, but never ended up playing professionally.) So when Katie had a baby girl in late 2002, she named her daughter Azzi after Jennifer Azzi — a fellow female player she looked up to.
Jennifer Azzi had been a member of the undefeated U.S. women’s basketball team that won gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The team’s dominance helped launch the WNBA in 1997.
A few years before winning gold, though, the original Azzi had led the Stanford University Cardinal* to victory in the 1990 NCAA women’s championship game (against the Auburn Tigers). After the win, she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
What are your thoughts on Azzi as a first name? (Do you think Azzi will debut in the U.S. baby name data in 2025?)
*Cardinal is singular because it refers to the color, not the bird.
Sources:
- Azzi Fudd – Wikipedia
- Jennifer Azzi – Wikipedia
- Barnes, Katie. “Azzi Fudd is Unbreakable.” ESPN 25 Feb. 2021.
- NCAA Division I basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player – Wikipedia
Image: Adapted from Azzi Fudd free throw by John Mac under CC BY-SA 2.0.
I like it! It has great meaning and it’s sassy! She needed something to stand out with the last name (just sayin’). The name suits her drive. I’m sure her name inspirer is proud.
I really like her name as well.
Oh, and her mom wore a shirt that said “Fudd around and find out” to the championship game, which is also pretty great. :)