Before the All-Star Weekend, Paige Bueckers finally gave fans the moment they’d been waiting for. On “WAG Talk,” she nailed the game of “How Well Do You Know Your D1 Girlfriend?” and answered all the questions right. Then came the last question about who the girlfriend was, and Bueckers paused before saying Azzi Fudd.

That was when UConn’s golden duo was no longer just ex-teammates but an official couple after months of public speculation. From there, the couple’s story started picking up layers, including a nickname that’s followed Fudd ever since. Dubbed the “People’s Princess,” she’s carried it into every conversation about her game and leadership. But what does she actually think of it?

Does Azzi Fudd Embrace the “People’s Princess” Nickname or See It Differently?

There was nothing serious about the origin of the “People’s Princess” nickname. On the “Good Game with Sarah Spain” podcast, Fudd described how Bueckers teased her about getting a pass from Geno Auriemma’s sideline tirades.

“I think Paige made a comment about how I’m the princess because coach doesn’t yell at me, and somehow that morphed into people calling me ‘The People’s Princess,’” Fudd said. She admitted she wasn’t sure how it stuck, but she didn’t have a problem with it.

If you’re going to get a nickname, it could be a lot worse. “I mean, I feel like when someone gives you a nickname, the odds of it being a good one like this are very low,” Fudd said. “I think this is a great nickname. I feel like there could be some really bad ones that people came up with. So I’m happy that it was this.”

The nickname picked up steam during the 2024 Final Four, when Bueckers was asked about Fudd and dropped the line that started the whole “People’s Princess” thing. “I think she’s one of the most perfect basketball players. There’s not a flaw in her game. There’s nothing you can really yell at her, which is why she’s like the ‘Princess’ from coach,” Bueckers said.

Even though a lot of people call her the “People’s Princess,” Fudd isn’t one to throw it around herself. “I don’t talk about myself, I don’t say like, ‘Oh, I’m Azzi. You can call me the people’s princess,” she admitted. “So [if] people continue to call me that, I won’t be upset. But if people stop, then that’s fine.” Fudd seems more locked in on her next season and what she does on the court.

This year, Fudd is stepping into a different role for the Huskies. Now in her fifth season at UConn, she’s known as one of the top shooters. Auriemma and the coaching staff have made their expectations clear. “I think, you know, what the coaches have just been saying is, ‘You’ve been here the longest. You know what you’re doing. You know what you’re talking about. So trust that,” Fudd shared.

Fudd gets that trust thanks to all her time on the court. Last season, she averaged 13.6 points per game and led the team in three-point percentage at 43.6%. She was even better in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.5 points and dropping 24 in the National Championship against South Carolina. Leading a team fresh off a national title brings its own kind of pressure.

Still, Fudd said, “No, I don’t feel any pressure.” Maybe that’s because she hit her 1,000th career point during the finals against South Carolina. Last year, she started 30 out of the 34 games she played, putting her leadership front and center. That doesn’t mean everything comes easy, though.

“I think it’s definitely gonna be a challenge for me because it’s kind of outside of my comfort zone to use my voice as much. That’s something I don’t really do but….. I love a challenge, and everyone’s challenging me. So I gotta step up and do it,” Fudd said.

The spotlight is now on Fudd and the Huskies. With Bueckers now in the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick, Fudd decided to stick around for one more year in Storrs. This season is all about Fudd taking charge.

So will Fudd keep “People’s Princess” as her nickname? Maybe, maybe not. But if another championship banner goes up in Storrs, that name will be hard to forget.