What made Azzi Fudd the right pick for Dallas Wings? Let the team's leadership explain

Q: Why did the Dallas Wings choose Azzi Fudd as their first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft?

The Dallas Wings chose Azzi Fudd because she was their primary target from the start, despite the presence of a strong draft class.

Q: What position does Azzi Fudd play in basketball?

Azzi Fudd plays as a guard, specifically noted for her performance at UConn.

Q: How many times have the Dallas Wings had the first overall pick in the WNBA draft?

The Dallas Wings have had the first overall pick in the WNBA draft for two consecutive years.

Q: What did the Dallas Wings general manager say about the 2026 draft class?

Wings general manager Curt Miller acknowledged that it was a great draft class but emphasized that Azzi Fudd was always their target.

UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) puts up a shot against South Carolina during the first half of the national championship game at the Final Four of the women's NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara/AP)

For the Dallas Wings, it was always Azzi Fudd.

In a year without a consensus No. 1 pick, fans and media members speculated about who the Wings could take first overall in the 2026 WNBA draft. But the Wings, who had the top pick for the second consecutive year, keyed on the UConn star from the start.

“Obviously, it was a great draft class,” Wings general manager Curt Miller said Monday in a post-draft news conference. “But Azzi ultimately was the target.”

Fudd, a 3-point shooting threat who is also effective off ball, helped the Huskies to a 38–1 record and finish in the Final Four, averaging 17.3 points on 48.1% shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in her final collegiate season. In 2025, she won a national championship alongside last year’s No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four.

The 23-year-old will reunite with Bueckers, whom she has previously excelled with in the backcourt. But Miller wanted to emphasize Fudd’s individuality on draft night.

“While they’re terrific teammates, they’ve won a championship together, they have synergy together. It’s about what they both individually bring,” Miller said.

So who is Fudd?

“A true winner, competitor, hard worker. One of the most unselfish superstars at the collegiate level,” Miller said. “... The skills on the court start with her offensive game and her elite shooting ability, her lightning-quick release. Her movement when she’s off the ball is truly, truly special.”

New Wings coach Jose Fernandez said the first trip he took after he got hired was to Storrs, Conn. so he could learn more about Fudd.

“She was the right fit for this team. She was the right fit for the locker room. She brings what this team needed in regards to spacing, her quick-release, her 3-point shooting,” Fernandez said. “And she’s coming from a program that is great in the locker room and they know how to win. That’s what we want here in Dallas.”

Miller said in November after the team won the 2026 lottery that Dallas would make its pick based on need following the expansion draft and free agency, which was pushed back because the WNBA and its players’ union did not come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement until March 18.

Fudd topped several mock drafts in the months leading up to Monday, but so did Spanish center Awa Fam Thiam. UCLA center Lauren Betts helped lead the Bruins to the national championship earlier this month. And last week, TCU guard Olivia Miles moved into the top spot in Michael Voepel’s ESPN mock draft, where Fudd was the previous No. 1.

ESPN had Fudd at No. 1 in its two previous mock drafts, but seemed to factor her postseason performance into her new placement. Fudd scored a career-high 34 points with eight 3-point shots in the second round, but she was 12-of-39 shooting for 31 points in UConn’s last three tournament games. In UConn’s loss to South Carolina in the national semifinal, Fudd was 3-of-15 for eight points.

But after the Wings’ made major moves in free agency over the weekend, Fudd returned to the top of ESPN’s mock draft on Monday and her odds to go No. 1 surged.

Dallas re-signed All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale and 6-6 center Awak Kuier, the second overall pick in 2021 who has sat out WNBA play since after the 2023 season. The Wings also signed former Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (6-4) and reigning co-defensive player of the year Alanna Smith (6-4), also a former Lynx forward, to multi-year deals.

After making that frontcourt investment, drafting Fudd was the next step in Dallas’ rebuilding efforts. The Wings shot 30.4% from three in 2025 and Fudd addresses that need.

“What we addressed in free agency with our frontline, … that’s going to free her up for a lot of things,” Fernandez said. “I just like how she’s going to get open in transition and also in the halfcourt.”

Dallas finished 10–34 last season, positioning the franchise for back-to-back No. 1 picks. Consecutive No. 1 picks have helped several organizations turn into contenders, and the Wings hope to follow a similar trajectory.

“This is just another special moment for our organization,” Miller said. “We can’t be more pleased to draft Azzi Fudd.”