WNBA star Azzi Fudd learning from former Texas basketball starter Empress Davenport

Learning from a Longhorn

Davenport joins a Dallas Wings squad with a lot of new faces: Fernandez is in his first year after 25 years at South Florida, the roster features veteran newcomers like Alysha Clark and Alanna Smith, and the 2026 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd. But in her new role, Davenport is taking a page out of Aston’s book. “She was super detailed in everything that she did. So, I think that I carried that with me,” Davenport said. When Fudd was done with pregame shootaround, she joined Davenport on the bench to go over some final things before the game, tablet and pen at the ready. Fudd is no stranger to putting in hard work, but the W is different, according to Davenport, because the small nuances of the game, such as how well a team executes out of a timeout, are important. **MORE**: Ex-Marquette forward Jada Bediako becomes the newest Texas newcomer **MORE**: What grades did the Longhorns deserve for the 2025-26 season? Dallas called a timeout with 6 minutes, 24 second left in the second quarter and Fudd joined three others back on the court. Fudd drained a 3-pointer to extend Dallas’ 44-29 lead over the defending champions. The rookie also initiated a fastbreak in the same period that showed her passing precision to a streaking Odyssey Sims who missed the layup but the play was completed on the Smith putback.

Azzi Fudd shines in Austin

A former star for UConn, Fudd finished with 12 points over nearly 21 minutes. She made efforts on the court that may be small but are important to keep an offense running. After handing off the ball to Jessica Shepard on the wing, Fudd’s movement away from the ball was enough to open a lane, and Shepard spun and shook her defender, drawing a foul by MVP A’ja Wilson. Little by little she is becoming more confident as final rosters take shape this week. "This is my first time playing most people in this league, so trying to watch more film and learn their tendencies," Fudd said. It's possible that Fudd has a long career and Davenport said the sky is the limit if a player can do the little things. "Its about finding your niche... Being super intentional about their craftsmanship to help the betterment of the team," she said. The Wings open their regular season May 9 in Indianapolis against the Indiana Fever.