By Brady Entwistle
UConn freshman, Azzi Fudd has added another impressive name to her list of brand partnerships, after becoming the first collegiate athlete to sign with Stephen Curry’s SC30 Inc.
Fudd, the nation’s number one recruit heading into the 2021-22 season, came to Storrs, Connecticut already an accomplished athlete, after being named a McDonald’s All-American, winning multiple gold medals with team USA, and becoming the first sophomore in history to be awarded the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
“As I continue to focus on becoming the best player and student I can be while in college, I also look forward to broadening my understanding of business and life beyond basketball," Fudd said about the partnership, adding, "this partnership with Steph and his SC30 team will help me do that. I’m really excited about everything we’ll do together in the future.”
The deal comes just a few years after Fudd and Curry connected at his camp, stating that she has also long been a fan of all that he has done on and off the court.
SC30 Inc. is the off-court presence of NBA superstar Curry, who sought to create new opportunities through brand partnerships, media, investments, and philanthropy. In 2018, Fudd became one of the first female basketball players to ever attend the SC30 Select Camp, Curry’s elite offseason training camp, and the two have continued their relationship since. This new deal marks Curry’s entrance into the NIL space and will see him personally mentor Fudd and provide a platform for the college student-athlete to share her passions outside of basketball.
“Azzi Fudd is the best choice to start a brand relationship like this because she is the next face of women’s basketball and has been a part of SC30 Inc. and the Curry Brand family since she was an invitee to the All-American Camp,” Curry said about the UConn star.
“For me, this is the right time because I have identified the platforms that I have, aligning purpose over profit, and the ability to collaborate with the right partners for the right opportunities. I want to be able to unlock that for Azzi, and for other talented athletes and influencers that see the world the same way I do.”
Heading into her first collegiate basketball season, Fudd also became an athlete ambassador for Chipotle, and scored an NIL deal with BioSteel that involves equity, a brand whose other equity partners include stars like Luka Dončić, Patrick Mahomes, and Ezekiel Elliot.
On December 1, 2021, a foot injury sidelined Fudd for a couple of weeks, but not before she was able to average 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds a game for the Huskies. Her three-point shooting, is currently at 44.4%, and has been a bright spot for a team looking to spread the floor more offensively. Coming into a program where the standards are remarkably high, Fudd’s prolific skill set has fans expecting her to emerge as one of the team’s most dynamic players, and Curry thinks she can become more.
With ability to learn directly from one of the NBA’s best players, the benefits from a deal like this go beyond compensation. The one-and-done policy in college basketball pertains only to the men’s game, so with three more years, along with Fudd’s commitment to her team, SC30 can accomplish a lot alongside the freshman, helping her find success before heading to the WNBA or embarking on a career.