On the heels of a breakout 24-point performance over the weekend, former UConn women’s basketball star Azzi Fudd earned her first career regular-season start in the WNBA on Thursday.
The No. 1 overall draft pick was one of two changes in a new-look starting lineup for Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez, as fellow Big East product Maddy Siegrist also cracked the first five after usual starter Alanna Smith was ruled out sick. Former Huskies great Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale rounded out the Wings’ starting lineup against the Las Vegas Aces.
Both Siegrist and Fudd looked assured in their newfound starting roles, combining for eight of Dallas’ 16 field goal attempts in the first quarter as the Wings look to secure their fourth win in five outings.
Dallas drafted Fudd’s longtime UConn teammate, Bueckers, with the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s WNBA Draft to sensational effect, as the star point guard became the league’s fifth-leading scorer at 19.2 points per game and cruised to Rookie of the Year honors. After receiving the top selection once again in 2026, the Wings selected Fudd and looked poised to compete after a few lean seasons, thanks to some additional moves in free agency.
Fudd faced a relatively muted start to her professional career, however, as she became the first No. 1 pick in nearly a decade not to start in her WNBA regular-season debut, a thrilling 107-104 win over Indiana. The 23-year-old struggled to make an impact off the bench against the Fever, attempting just two field goals in 17 minutes.
Not to be discouraged, Fudd has shown almost linear improvement since, averaging more than 10 points per game over her next three contests with a surprising penchant for the mid-range shot. Her 3-point breakout finally came against the Liberty on Sunday, knocking down six shots from long-range as she outdueled former UConn star Breanna Stewart in a 91-76 road win against the Liberty.