When Azzi Fudd joined Stephen Curry in his camp in Chongqing, China, last year, she could not believe the fan reception she received. They showered her with love, Labubus, and mementos. That was exactly what Fudd saw in her future.
So, while the 2026 WNBA season is going strong, she has already planned what she would do in upcoming January: play in Project B. With the news out, the new offseason league could not help but show its excitement for the WNBA rookie. But interestingly, apart from her own lack of international playing experience, she has someone else inspiring her for the decision.
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“Who’s joining us?,” Project B commented on Azzi Fudd’s Instagram post, where she creatively announced her offseason decision.
In the video, Fudd is walking through the various cities — Valencia, Spain (March 12–21) and Tokyo, Japan (March 26–April 4) — that Project B will play in with her dog, Stewie. She playfully also captioned the post: “Hey Stewie, let’s go for a walk…”
The women’s basketball landscape is continuing to change and grow, and Project B is the latest entry into that evolution. However, Azzi Fudd’s wish to join this league goes beyond the structure and the contract.
“I want to be able to broaden my experience and go outside of just America,” the 23-year-old told Emma Hinchliffe in an exclusive with Fortune. “What’s incredible now is that players have that option – they can go if they want, they don’t have to, they can stay if they want. It’s not forced.”
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For years, WNBA players had very little flexibility when it came to where they wanted to play in the offseason. Many of them had to head overseas just to supplement their income while balancing long travel schedules with year-round competition. But that quickly shifted with the launch of Unrivaled, a 3×3 league founded by WNBA’s Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. It offered top talent an option to stay in the States with big checks and equity stakes.
Meanwhile, the 2026 WNBA CBA has also significantly improved player pay and reduced the financial pressure to go abroad. So, while the players now have the freedom to choose how and where they spend their offseason, Fudd has found yet another inspiration: her father.
Tim Fudd, Azzi’s father, used to play overseas, and she grew up hearing stories about what life and basketball are like outside the United States. The idea of playing abroad always intrigued her, and it only grew stronger last summer when she traveled with Steph Curry to China.
“People who are fans of me all around the world – I’m so far from home, in a country I’ve never been to, and people cheer for me, give me gifts, and welcome me with open arms – it was such an unreal experience. It opened my eyes to just how much more is out there and how basketball can open the doors to so much,” Fudd said, reflecting on her time in China.
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Interestingly, this decision remains controversial. Azzi Fudd was one of Unrivaled’s earliest college NIL partners and became one of the league’s most recognizable young faces even before graduating from UConn. That connection only made fans assume she would eventually join the 3×3 league. However, she opted for a 5×5 tournament, where she’ll be far from the only W star.
Players like Sophie Cunningham, Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Jewell Loyd, and Kelsey Mitchell have already signed on with Project B. Fudd is just another name vying to evolve her international footprint among these stars.
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