Dallas Wings use No. 1 pick in WNBA draft to reunite star UConn teammates
The Dallas Wings selected UConn guard Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft Monday in New York, marking the second year in a row Dallas has taken a Husky with the top pick.
Fudd is very familiar with the last UConn product to go No. 1 overall, Paige Bueckers. The pair played together at UConn and won a championship.
The Virginia native talked about playing with Bueckers after the crowd burst into applause when the Wings guard, last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, was shown on the broadcast.
The pair is close on and off the court, with Bueckers previously acknowledging Fudd as her girlfriend during last year’s All-Star break, though they generally don’t speak publicly about their relationship.
“I’m excited to play again with Paige,” Fudd said on the ESPN broadcast. “I mean, she’s an incredible person, incredible player, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
Fudd also talked about her time at UConn and how her family showed up to support her.
“My family means everything to me,” Fudd said. “They poured into me so much from being my coaches, my brother being my rebounding passers, my grandparents moving to Connecticut, coming every game, every single person. My family has done so much for me, and it means everything that they’re here with me today.”
Fudd, an All-American the past two seasons, dominated at UConn, winning the Most Outstanding Player in 2025 for her performance in March Madness.
She averaged 17.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds during her senior season. However, she did struggle over her final few collegiate games, scoring 31 points combined in three games to end her career, including eight in a 62-48 loss to South Carolina in the Final Four after scoring 34 points in a second-round win over Syracuse.
Fudd acknowledged her teammates Monday.
“The fact that every single one of them is here shows you just the chemistry and what they mean to me, the support, and I plan on bringing that, being a great teammate, doing everything I can, whatever the team needs,” Fudd said.
The Wings seemingly tipped their hand early with a post on X showing a countdown that so happened to show the number 35 on the clock. Fudd wore 35 during her career at UConn.
Fudd fits in with some of the recent moves made by the Wings, including adding last year’s co-defensive player of the year Alanna Smith and rebounding aficionado Jessica Shepard.
Shooting is Fudd’s calling card with her hitting 44.7% from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game in her senior season at UConn while adding elite defense. Those abilities should pair well offensively with the open shots created by Bueckers, as well as the recently re-signed Arike Ogunbowale.
After having the top pick in each of the past two seasons, the Wings will be looking to return for the playoffs for the first time since 2023 and hope Fudd will be a part of that turnaround.
To cap off their draft, the Wings took Tennessee forward Zee Spearman with the first pick of the third round (No. 31 overall).
This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 6:13 PM.
