“With the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd, University of Connecticut.”
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Azzi Fudd as the first pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft. Fudd is a women’s basketball guard and already part of the record books.
Fudd’s career, although still early, is filled with honors, awards, and notable accomplishments. She played for five years with the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies.
Leading up to the draft, Fudd’s place in various mock drafts frequently changed. She was a top pick along with Olivia Miles from Texas Christian University, Awa Fam from Valencia Basket, and Lauren Betts from the University of California, Los Angeles. All of whom were drafted in that order, after Fudd.
Time at UConn
Throughout high school, it was clear how dominant Fudd would be in the world of women’s basketball. She committed to UConn in November 2020, ranked as the No. 1 women’s basketball recruit for the Class of 2021.
Unfortunately, Fudd suffered numerous injuries throughout her career that she overcame while playing at UConn. She missed 11 games due to a foot injury as a freshman, 22 games due to a knee injury as a sophomore, and only played in two games due to an ACL tear as a junior. This only furthered her drive during her final two seasons at UConn.
In the 2024-2025 season, Fudd was named the 2025 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, after UConn became the women’s basketball National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Champion. Fudd scored 24 of UConn’s 82 points against the University of South Carolina’s (USC) 59 points in the championship game.
Fudd’s final season might not have ended as expected, with UConn losing in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA National Championship Tournament for women’s basketball. However, Fudd started in all 39 games, setting a career-high average of 17.3 points per game. Her time at UConn demonstrates how strong a player she is and why she was the first pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Changes in the WNBA
After 17 months of negotiations, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) passed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that brought many changes to the league. The CBA is a formal contract that defines the working conditions for players, including salary structures, revenue sharing, and team travel.
The new CBA was passed only 46 days before the start of the 2026 season, leaving less time to prepare for it. Between the expansion draft, free agency, the college draft, and training camps, each team’s roster has already been changing drastically. The free agency period began on April 6, just days before the draft.
When analyzing the players the Dallas Wings obtained during the free agency period before the draft, many started to speculate Azzi Fudd as their draft pick once again. The Wings brought back veteran guard Arike Ogunbowale, with veteran free agents Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard. Fudd is an elite three-point shooter and a strong defender, who the Wings were predicted to pick.
Paige Bueckers, who was the first pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft and a UConn alum, currently plays for the Wings. The reunion of this duo is among the multitude of reasons why Fudd was expected to be drafted by the Wings. They’re a proven successful pairing, which the Wings have reunited. Bueckers and Fudd led UConn to the program’s 12th NCAA National Championship for women’s basketball in 2025.
Azzi Fudd is known as the “People’s Princess,” the nickname given to her by Bueckers. Despite the nickname, she remains a force to be reckoned with, and her career thus far has proven it. Her elite shooting abilities, defense, and work ethic have led to her being the first pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
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