Former UConn women’s basketball star Azzi Fudd is off the operating table and into the Mediterranean Sea, posing for her debut in the 2027 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
The publication announced Wednesday that Fudd is among 11 women posing for next year’s issue. The group, which includes English golfer Charley Hull and Claire Kittle, the wife of NFL tight end George Kittle, is traveling between Mallorca and Ibiza for the shoots. swimsuit.si.com
Fudd continues a trend of UConn stars appearing in Sports Illustrated’s signature issue. Napheesa Collier made her debut in the 2026 issue, photographed on Captiva Island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida, while Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart appeared alongside other WNBA players in the 2022 edition. swimsuit.si.com
Editor Andre Laguerre created the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1964 to fill the magazine during the slower winter sports months. It later became a national phenomenon, selling about 5 million copies annually around its late-1980s peak. German tennis star Steffi Graf appeared in the 1997 issue, and female athletes from across sports have been featured since. Former Quinnipiac rugby star Ilona Maher, for example, has appeared in three consecutive editions since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Fudd has shown a public interest in fashion dating to her UConn days, attending New York Fashion Week in 2025 alongside Huskies teammate KK Arnold. She famously wore two different dresses at the 2026 WNBA Draft, where she was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. She enjoyed a stellar rookie season until knee surgery ended it in August.
