Nothing about Azzi Fudd’s WNBA career has been typical.
From the moment she was drafted No. 1 over in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings, eyebrows were raised. Many thought eventual No. 3 pick Awa Fam or No. 2 pick Olivia Miles were better players with not only higher upside, but were also prepared to help win games now.
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And early on, she doesn’t have the traditional path for a top draft pick. Usually, the No. 1 selection is a franchise player, with everything revolving around their growth and development. That’s what happened with Paige Bueckers last year, Caitlin Clark in 2024, Aliyah Boston in 2023 and virtually every No. 1 pick in the history of the WNBA.
Instead, Fudd is behind Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale on the depth chart, and she’s averaging just 23.8 minutes per game. That’s the seventh most minutes played amongst rookies in 2026, well below what the No. 1 pick typically averages. The last time the top pick didn’t average the most minutes per game in their rookie class was Charli Collier back in 2021. She was also drafted by the Wings and played just two seasons in the league.
However, on Sunday, Fudd silenced any concerns that she might ever be a bust.
With Dallas taking on the New York Liberty under the bright Brooklyn lights, it was a tough test for the young team. They passed it with flying colors, beating the Liberty 91-76.
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The blowout win was impressive, and no one was more dominant than Fudd. She ended the game with 24 points and shot 50 percent from 3, converting on six triples. That was some elite shooting, tying her for second in most 3s in a game by a rookie.
Head coach Jose Fernandez shared praise for Fudd after the game, saying:
I’m really proud of her because she stayed the course.
She really showed on the national stage in bright lights, tough place to play, national TV. I think now everyone knows why we took her No. 1.
While it was an all-around great performance by Fudd, it was the third period where she exploded. She started the second half and, after an early turnover and a miss, found her rhythm.
Fudd knocked down a 3 from the wing off a pass from Bueckers and a screen from Jessica Shepard. Then it was a catch-and-shoot corner 3 from Fudd that gave the Wings a four-point edge. Moments later, Shepard pushed the ball and transitioned, but stopped to find a trailing Fudd. She had the hot hand, and Shepard acquiesced to Fudd. The Wings were rewarded with a lead that had ballooned to double figures.
With Fudd scoring 17 points in the quarter, it flipped the game in Dallas’ favor. They never trailed again.
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Here’s Azzi’s postgame assessment of her breakout afternoon, which she shared with the NBC crew:
My goal today was just to play a little bit slower.
I felt like I was rushing a little bit every time I caught the ball. I wasn’t reading right away. I was putting the ball down, going too fast. So, my goal was just to slow down and my teammates were sending me great screens, giving me great passes and so I was reading what was there and that was the three tonight.
Fudd’s shot diet was a basketball nerd’s dream, and her execution was what all coaches desire. She took 15 shots, and none of them were midrange jumpers. Fudd shot 12 from deep, was perfect in the paint with two makes at the rim,and one driving layup.
One performance doesn’t erase all the doubt critics have, but, as water does to a rock, Fudd can erode those concerns people have about her over time with consistent effort and production. If she’s as good as she and the Wings believe, her moments will keep coming, and soon enough, she’ll have to start, regardless of who is on the roster.
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While Fernandez bristled at a starting lineup question in his postgame presser, he offered additional positivity about Fudd and his team, noting:
We’re headed that direction. I think it showed with her being on the floor and what she did. She started in the second half.
Thanks to Fudd’s effort, the Wings are now 4-3—a winning record. That might not seem like much, but last year they were never above .500, and they didn’t win their fourth game until June 24.
Ultimately, only Fudd can control her fate.
She won’t always make 3s at such an absurd rate, but plenty of Sunday’s game is replicable. Fudd will have Shepard setting her screens and getting her open. Bueckers and Ogunbowale demand attention, and that means Fudd will get plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities.
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She capitalized on those moments on Sunday, and more of that means Fudd will not only get the respect she deserves, but the Wings will start stacking up victories.
That’s a win-win scenario and a position the Wings haven’t found themselves in in quite some time.
