Dallas Wings select UConn star Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft

With the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings selected UConn star shooting guard Azzi Fudd.

Fudd, who is also the former teammate of last year's No. 1 pick, Paige Bueckers, won a championship at UConn alongside Bueckers in 2025. 

"I'm excited to play again with Paige; she's an incredible player," Fudd said.  

Fudd is also one of the best 3-point shooters to come out of college this year.

"Azzi Fudd is one of the best shooters in our game today," said Dallas Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller. "She has a lightning-quick release and her movement off the ball is elite. She competes hard defensively and is an efficient, unselfish player who knows how to win. In an outstanding draft class, she stood out to us not only with her basketball skills but with her intangibles. She is a great teammate and has outstanding basketball IQ. Azzi brings to the Wings the type of character that we want in our locker room. We are ecstatic to add her to our Wings family."  

Fudd averaged 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 steals for the Huskies this season. She should work well not only with Bueckers, but with Dallas' leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale, whom they re-signed to a multi-year deal over the weekend.

Fudd also has experience on the international level with USA Basketball, winning a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. She won a tournament title at the 2018 Latvia U17 International Invitational and competed in the 2019 USA 3x3 U19 National Championship.  

Dallas also added forwards Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard from the Minnesota Lynx.

The new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified last month gave huge pay raises to rookies. Fudd will make nearly seven times what Bueckers earned last season as the top choice. The No. 2 and No. 3 picks will get $466,913 and $436,016, respectively.

Second- and third-round picks will make $270,000 — more than the previous maximum salary under the old CBA.

TCU stars drafted in first round 

Minnesota selected TCU's Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick. Miles decided to stay in college last season instead of entering the WNBA draft. 

She transferred from Notre Dame to the Horned Frogs, where she said, helped her rediscover her love for basketball. She helped TCU reach the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. 

Now, as a Lynx, she hopes to bring her flair and basketball IQ to the team. 

"To have your dreams come true, it's amazing," she said after being drafted. 

Her teammate, TCU forward Marta Suarez, was selected 16th by the Seattle Storm. However, Suarez and a 2028 second-round pick were traded to the Bay Area from Seattle in exchange for Golden State Valkeries' No. 8 selection, Flau'jae Johnson.

A look at the other top prospects of this year's draft 

After Seattle took Spain center Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3, Washington selected the 6-foot-7 UCLA star Lauren Betts before the Chicago Sky followed with UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez, who is the sister of Miami Heat player Jaime Jaquez Jr. She now has family bragging rights not only with a national championship, but also was picked higher than him. Jaime was taken 18th in the NBA draft in 2023.

Their teammate, Kiki Rice, went sixth to Toronto, the first pick for the expansion franchise.   

UCLA broke UConn's record of having four players drafted in the first round, a mark the Huskies set in 2002, when Angela Dugalic went ninth to Washington, teaming her again with Betts. And, Giannna Kneepkens was chosen by Connecticut with the last pick of the opening round.

The Bruins later broke the mark for the most players drafted from one team when Charlisse Leger-Walker was selected by Connecticut with the third pick in the second round.

Portland took Spanish guard Iyana Martin Carrion with its first-ever pick. Indiana took South Carolina's Raven Johnson with the 10th pick and Washington drafted Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss next.

Connecticut took French player Nell Angloma with the 12th pick. A second Gamecock went next with Madina Okot drafted by Atlanta. Seattle drafted Duke's Taina Mair with the 14th choice.