Nobody can deny that Azzi Fudd deserved to be considered for the Dallas Wings’ No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft and was essentially guaranteed to be one of the top three players selected. This came despite her having a subpar NCAA Tournament with the UConn Huskies because the Wings had surely made their decision long before that point.
However, some factors might have potentially influenced the Wings’ decision. The biggest being Fudd’s relationship with star guard Paige Bueckers, which stemmed from their time at UConn together. As absurd as it may sound, some people believed that the Wings took Fudd with that first pick as a way to appease Bueckers, when Fudd might not have been the best player available or the best fit within first-year head coach Jose Fernandez’s system.
Fernandez spoke with the media on April 21 and was crystal clear about why his franchise went with Fudd with their first pick.
“We took Azzi Fudd because she was the best player for this franchise, alright? And in my system, I thought that she would be very, very successful. That’s why we drafted her,” Fernandez said, per an X post from @AzziReport.
He then added, “She has a very unique skillset. She can shoot the crap out of the basketball, and she can create off the bounce. She invested and got better defensively. Now, she’s got to adjust on how people are gonna guard her, and how they’re gonna play her. But I think she’s really surrounded by good veterans, she’s gonna be surrounded with different post players that are gonna get her open.”
“There was no doubt in my mind what our franchise needed was to address the three-point shooting, a floor-spacer, and someone that has so much more in front of her, as well,” Fernandez continued. “You see her what you see in Paige: Her taking care of her body, doing extra stuff, getting here early, staying here after and getting more shots up.”
Fudd doesn’t get much time to acclimate to the professional game before getting thrown into the fire, as the Wings’ first WNBA preseason game is against the Indiana Fever on April 30.
However, given that Fudd is one of the more polished draft prospects in recent memory (plus she already has that chemistry with Bueckers), it wouldn’t be surprising to see her transition seamlessly into the WNBA.
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