UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) shoots against UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) during the second half of a national semifinal Final Four game during the women’s NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/AP
For the second consecutive year, the Dallas Wings selected a UConn standout with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.
First, it was Paige Bueckers. Now, it’s Azzi Fudd.
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The Wings are hoping Fudd can help bolster the team’s 3-point shooting after a 2025 season full of struggles. Fudd, a 42% 3-point shooter throughout her college career, seems like a natural fit for Dallas’ roster.
Here are five things to know about Fudd:
1. The basics
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High school: St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.)
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Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Birthday: Nov. 11, 2002 (23 years old)
2. She won a national title with Paige Bueckers
Fudd had a standout collegiate career at UConn, where she earned several accolades. She earned All-Big East honors in 2022, 2025 and 2026, and she was a first-team AP All-American in her last season at the school. One of the most important accolades on her résumé is a 2025 national title win with the Huskies.
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Fudd won that trophy alongside Bueckers. The backcourt duo led the program to a 37-3 record and Final Four victories over UCLA and South Carolina. Fudd was named most outstanding player for that year’s Final Four.
3. She was named after a former women’s hoops star
Fudd was named after former women’s basketball player Jennifer Azzi. According to an article from ESPN’s Katie Barnes, Fudd’s mother admired Jennifer Azzi’s game. Jennifer Azzi won a national title in 1990 at Stanford before embarking on a professional playing career that spanned from 1990-2003.
“My mom told me when I was younger, but it didn’t really resonate with me until I was in middle school,” Fudd told USA Basketball in 2021. “I started to realize I love the game and that I was actually pretty good at it. And then I started to appreciate who Jennifer Azzi was. So probably around middle school was when it really kind of hit me that I was named after an amazing person and player.”
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4. She’s the latest in a long line of UConn top picks
In 2026, Fudd became the seventh UConn player to go No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft. The list of top UConn draftees has some impressive names. Check it out:
Sue Bird (Seattle Storm in 2002)
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury in 2004)
Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun in 2010)
Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx in 2011)
Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm in 2016)
Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings in 2025)
Azzi Fudd (Dallas Wings in 2026)
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5. She comes from a basketball family
Both of Fudd’s parents played basketball in the past. Her mother, Katie, played collegiately at NC State and Georgetown from 1997-2001. After her time at Georgetown ended, Katie was selected by the Sacramento Monarchs in the fourth round of the 2001 WNBA draft.
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Meanwhile, Fudd’s father, Tim, played at American University from 1991-96.