UConn guard Azzi Fudd goes No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, reunited with Paige Bueckers

Heather Burns, USA TODAY Mon, April 13, 2026 at 11:18 PM UTC

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NEW YORK — After all of the drama surrounding the 2026 WNBA Draft's top pick, we ended up exactly as many predicted before the college season began.

UConn All-American Azzi Fudd was, indeed, the No. 1 overall selection in the WNBA draft on Monday, April 13, at The Shed at Hudson Yards. She is the seventh UConn player to be picked No. 1 joining Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Wings teammate Paige Bueckers.

"I am excited to play again with Paige, incredible player, incredible person," Fudd told ESPN's Holly Rowe after she was selected.

Bueckers was sitting in the crowd with the entire UConn team. Fudd said she appreciated all the support from her teammates and family.

The 5-foot-11 shooting guard helped UConn win 54 straight games the last two seasons including the 2025 national championship where she was name Most Outstanding Player. The Huskies streak was stopped in this season's national semifinals, when they were upset by South Carolina.

"Not how we wanted to end our season, but I think the biggest takeaway was how incredible my five years have been," Fudd said when asked about UConn. "Being able to learn from that, being able to take all those experiences — the wins, the losses, the hard practices, the everything, the good, the bad — you can grow from that.

"All those habits, that championship, that winning mentality, I have to be able to bring those with me."

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1 / 0Style takes center stage on the WNBA draft orange carpetAzzi Fudd of UConn arrives prior to the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.

Fudd averaged 14.7 points while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range in four years at UConn. This season, she averaged 17.3 points and 3.1 assists a game. Fudd finished her career with the top free throw percentage in UConn history (92.5%).

"Every single thing we did was with discipline, with intensity," Fudd said of what she learned with the Huskies. "We did it the right way. That winning mentality, that culture, the we mindset ... being able to read your defender, learning tendencies to the offensive player, but not being so confined and being able to just play."

Fudd was a first-team All-American and finalist for both the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy. She was also named first-team All-Big East the past two seasons. Fudd can score in bunches, as she did with 34 points, including eight 3-pointers, against Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament in March.

The No. 1 recruit nationally in the 2021 class, Fudd has suffered several injuries over the course of her career.

April 2019: Fudd tore her ACL and MCL at the U.S. under-18 3-on-3 championships.

As a freshman at UConn (2021-22 season): Fudd missed 11 games as a freshman due to a foot injury.

As a sophomore at UConn (2022-23 season): Fudd missed 22 games due to a knee injury she suffered in a December game against Notre Dame, when a teammate fell on her knee.

As a junior (2023-24 season): Fudd tore her ACL and medial meniscus in her right knee in a practice in November. The non-contact injury limited her to two games.

When asked about becoming a professional basketball player, Fudd enumerated all the things she's looking forward to in the next chapter.

"I feel like I can't pinpoint one thing," Fudd said. "There's endless opportunity in front of me, whatever happens next, wherever I end up. I'm just excited to be in a new city, to learn from the players around me, to get to play with these incredible players, to learn from the coach. I'm excited for everything."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Wings take Azzi Fudd, reunite her with UConn teammate Paige Bueckers

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