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Who is Azzi Fudd's mom? Meet Katie Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd, former college basketball standout and WNBA draft pick
TL;DR
Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd, Azzi Fudd's mother, is a former college basketball standout and WNBA draft pick. She scored over 2,000 points during her college career at N.C. State and Georgetown and now coaches youth basketball in Virginia.
Who is Azzi Fudd's mom? Meet Katie Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd, former college basketball standout and WNBA draft pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While many women's basketball fans have heard of Azzi Fudd, not many are too familiar with her mother, Katie.
During her youth days, she made quite a name for herself as the star guard who ran around the court with braids in her hair. In college, she was a 2,000-point scorer across her four-year career at N.C. State and Georgetown. After her brief WNBA career, she has worked as a youth basketball coach with her husband in the Virginia area.
Now, her daughter Azzi will hear her name called near the top of the draft Monday night after a superb career with the UConn Huskies. The full circle moment is enough for any parent to feel an overwhelming sense of pride, but for Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd to see her daughter walk down the path she did is a moment few parents can tell the tale of.
Here's the rundown on Katie Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd, including her statistics during her collegiate career.
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Who is Azzi Fudd's mom?
Fudd's mother, Katie, was a former high school and collegiate player, as well as a WNBA draftee. She was drafted with the 62nd pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft by the Washington Monarchs.
Like her daughter, Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd was an elite guard who flourished wherever she played. In 2000, she was ranked by Connection Newspapers as the No. 18 athlete in the Virginia area of all time.
While she used to be a foe of UConn while playing for Georgetown, she has grown a soft spot for the program after her daughter played for the Huskies under Geno Auriemma. She is currently a player development and head coach for the GTS Fusion youth team, along with her husband, Tim.
MORE:Who is projected to go No. 1 in SN's 2026 WNBA Mock Draft?
Katie Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd basketball career
In college, Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd attended N.C. State and won the 1997 ACC Rookie of the Year award. She played for the Wolfpack for a year before transferring to Georgetown. She flourished in D.C. and saw her stats rise across the board. In her sophomore year, she averaged 20 points per game, along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She shot 43% from the field that year, along with a stellar 42.1% from beyond the arc.
During her college career, she accumulated 2,072 career points, including 1,671 points at Georgetown, and earned three All-Big East selections. Here are her stats from her four-year collegiate career.
| Season | Team | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | FG% | 3P% |
| 1996-1997 | NC State | 12.9 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 39.8% | 32.0% |
| 1997-1998 | Georgetown | 20.0 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 43.0% | 42.1% |
| 1998-1999 | Georgetown | 18.6 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 41.5% | 38.4% |
Unfortunately, her WNBA career was brief. Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in the 4th round (62nd pick) of the 2001 WNBA Draft. A little over two weeks later, she was waived due to injury concerns from a prior knee injury that left her with less cartilage.
However, Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd still found a way to remain around the game of basketball that she loves. She is the Head of Player Development and the 15U Head Coach for the GTS Fusion, a youth development team her and her husband, Tim, founded. Along with this, Smrcka‑Duffy Fudd was elected to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2017 for her elite play at James Madison High School in Vienna, Va.
Q&A
What were Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd's college basketball achievements?
Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd scored over 2,000 points during her college basketball career at N.C. State and Georgetown.
What is Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd's connection to the WNBA?
Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd was a WNBA draft pick after her college basketball career.
Where does Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd coach youth basketball?
Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd coaches youth basketball in the Virginia area.
How is Azzi Fudd's basketball career related to her mother's?
Azzi Fudd is following in her mother Katie Smrcka-Duffy Fudd's footsteps, as both have had successful basketball careers, with Azzi expected to be a top draft pick.
